Rozen Maiden Vertrauen
by Hikari no Destany
Summary: Season 3 attempt. A mysterious doll named Marina has appeared, claiming to be the eighth doll. Barasuishou has also returned. Now, bonds will be made and broken, as the Maidens and Jun try and figure out who to trust in the darkest hour of the Alice Game.
1. Prologue

And so, the first chapter is here. It is a prologue, doing what **Suiseiseki's Blog** did, but more formal, since it is Shinku.

I also plan to put up the first chapter as well, which actually introduces Marina into the actual story.

I also want to surpass the 12 episodes limit, simply because I could do so much more with more than 12 episodes.

Final note, this is in Dub format. That is why Suiseiseki doesn't say Desu.

And now, my take at a Season 3 of **Rozen Maiden**. Prepare yourself, for **Rozen Maiden Vertrauen**...

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. _

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

_And so, Barasuishou won the Alice Game. Until it was revealed that she was never a Rozen Maiden to begin with. So, all our Rosa Mysticae returned to us, with the exception of Souseiseki's and Hinaichigo's, who had lost in the real Alice Game. But, later, by some miracle that no-one could understand, or chooses to, they were alive and well once more. Even they were confused. It makes you wonder what today's era truly is like._

_There was also a celebration. Two, to be precise. Jun returning to school, and then several weeks later, celebrating his birthday. I've been alive so long, I've forgotten my own birthday. So have the others. But, it certainly was a celebration. Suigintou was even there. She said her medium would've loved to have come. Kanaria and her medium were there and Souseiseki's masters. Tomoe and, even though hidden from us all, father were there too. Father...he's quite the mysterious character._

_Now then, after the birthday, we went about our lives in the most normal way possible. I mean, it isn't normal for dolls like us to be walking and talking. At least, that's what Jun says. So, since we do walk and talk, and that certainly isn't normal, we continued our lives in our own uniquely normal way. And it stayed that way for several weeks. Until, she walked into our lives..._


	2. Epi1: Marina I

I don't expect reviews of last chapter already because I am posting both the prologue and Chapter 1, or part 1 of the 1st episode, together.

This chapter introduces Marina. And I will always feature that quote from last chapter. Don't like it, tough luck.

One other thing. Since the site only lets us pick 2 categories, and this is a multi category, I'll list them here:

Action/Adventure,

Drama,

Mystery,

Humour (At least, as best I can),

Possibly Tragedy and Angst,

And more...I just need to look them up.

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. _

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"YOU CRAZY DOLLS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!" A sea of dolls ran from the living room as Jun chased after them, a pissed off look clear on his face. He chased them upstairs, screaming, "GET BACK HERE!" He reached down to grab the slow Hinaichigo, who was now panting with every step, but before he could snatch the poor thing, she ran inside his room and it was slammed in his face. As he sat on the floor cradling his red nose, he could hear victorious laughter from the other side of the door.

"Why you..." he hissed. Nori walked up the stairs and, spotting Jun, asked, "What's going on, Jun?" He turned his head sharply, making the girl jump.

"It's those dolls again! I'm already stressed out enough with school, but with them here, and with Hina and Souseiseki around again, and Suigintou and Kanaria visiting too often, it's like some sort of funhouse. And not the fun kind." Nori smiled at her brother's annoyance.

"Come on, Jun-kun. Don't tell me you're not happy that Shinku's here." He calmed down as he thought about it.

"Well, she pisses me off a lot, with her treating me like a servant. And Suiseiseki with her calling me a runt. And Hina's constant drawing on the walls and floors and whining. Suigintou for constantly trying to pick a fight with everyone-"

"She used to. Not anymore."

"Fine! Whatever! And also, Kanaria for always trying to sneak in here. There's my reasons for being mad at them. But..." Nori turned from looking at Jun's bedroom door.

"But?"

"But maybe, after everything that's happened, it isn't so bad having them around." Nori smiled.

"That's the Jun I know." The door bell rang, and both Sakurada's perked up. Jun looked down. He was already on a stair step.

"I'll get it."

"Okay. And I'll try and get them all to apologize to you."

"You do that." The boy reached the door and opened it. He looked around, but couldn't see anyone. Just as he was going to close the door and shout up that it was no-one, he heard a small, squeaky voice shout, or squeak, it was hard to tell, "Wait!" He turned back again and looked down, and almost screamed when he saw a small, doll-like girl standing on the doorstep, with a big case, almost the same size as her, next to her, large fuchsia pink eyes staring at him, and a large smile.

"Oh great, another one..." he hissed beneath his breath. She gave him a confused look.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Now what'd you want?" She put her smile back on, a mischievous glimmer entering her eye at the same time, making Jun uneasy.

"Is this the Sakurada household?" He gulped, unsure of where this was going.

"Yeah," he said hesitantly. She narrowed her eyes slightly in mischief. He now regretted opening the door.

"Are you Jun Sakurada?"

"Yeah." Her smiled looked a little darker now.

"Are you Shinku and Suiseiseki's medium?" He gasped.

"H-how do you know-" She held up her hand, as if she were royalty, interrupting him.

"Let me in and I'll tell you." He opened the door wider, letting the mysterious girl enter. She looked around the hall, casting a swift, almost unseen glance at the top of the stairs when Hina gave a cry of annoyance. She set down her case for a moment to stretch herself out. Then she picked it up again and walked into the living room. Nori walked downstairs, a defeated look on her face.

"Sorry Jun, they won't leave your room and apol-" She stopped as she walked into the living room and saw the little girl sitting on the couch, swinging her legs, a case by her feet.

"Jun?" The boy, who was just sitting in an armchair across from the girl, with his head in his hands, looked up.

"Hm?"

"Um, not sounding rude but, who is she and what is she doing here?" The girl answered for him.

"I'm here to see the Rozen Maidens, and I'm not saying who I am 'til I see them." Nori was still confused, but walked over to the kitchen, asking, "Well, while you wait, do you want some tea?" The girl nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Yes please. I assume Shinku's been teaching you?"

"She has. I've learnt a lot about making tea from her." Jun was dumbstruck.

"How the hell can you be so calm about how she knows Shinku and the others?"

"Well, it's obvious she's here for a reason, and that's to see them. And she obviously knows them, so I'm not freaked out about it. Here you go," she said, giving the cup to the girl.

"Careful though, it's hot."

"I know. Thank you, Nori Sakurada." Now, it was Nori's turn to look dumbstruck. She sat down in the armchair next to Jun and said, "I'm okay about her knowing the dolls, but knowing me's just a little crazy." The girl put the cup down on her saucer after taking a sip and asked, "Aren't you going to call them down?" Nori jumped. She got to her feet and stammered, "Y-yes!"

Running out the room, she called for the dolls, leaving Jun alone with the girl. They just stared at each other, prompting Jun to go, "What?" The girl only shrugged, that smug smile still on her smug face.

* * *

"Now Nori, what is so urgent that you want that's so urgent?"

"I'm so sorry Shinku, but there's a little girl downstairs asking for you guys." Shinku perked up, curious.

"All of us?" Nori nodded.

"Yes, all of you. And what's really freaky is that she knows who me and Jun are." Hina, Kanaria and Suiseiseki cowered behind Shinku, Hina whining, "That is creepy! What if it's Barasuishou?" Nori shook her head.

"Don't worry, Hina. It isn't Barasuishou." Hina didn't relax. Suiseiseki piped up, saying, "But what if it's Barasuishou in another body? Huh?" Nori chuckled.

"Come on now. You're all acting like children. I'm sure she's harmless. Now, if you don't come down now, I'll call Micchan and she'll bring along some new dresses for you all to try on." All the dolls panicked except for Hina and Kana. Suiseiseki leaned toward her sister and hissed, "If she does call Micchan, I give you permission to use the shears on her."

"I would've used them without your permission." Nori started walking down the stairs, but she stopped on a step and turned back to them.

"Shinku, even you know it's not polite to keep people waiting." Shinku nodded, and started toward the stairs. The other dolls followed reluctantly. They reached the door, and Shinku used her cane to open it. When the door opened, the dolls gasped. The little girl looked at the door, and a huge smile appeared on her face. She put down the empty cup, jumped off the couch and ran to Shinku.

"Shinku!" Shinku gasped as the girl wrapped her arms around her waist. Jun jumped to his feet.

"H-hey! What are you doing?" The girl released her grip on the doll and stepped back.

"Who are you?" Shinku asked, still partly shocked. The girl smiled again.

"My name's Marina. And I'm the eighth Rozen Maiden doll." The room was quiet.

* * *

A lone figure, wandering through the night. They leap from one building to another, always in shadow. Barely a sound. Finally, they stopped. They bowed to a figure, hidden in shadow.

"Master. I have returned." The figure looked at the creature.

"So I noticed..." A candle lit up, shining on everything but the shadowed figure. The creature stood straight, a smug smirk on its features, and eyepatch covering its left eye.

"...Barasuishou." She bowed again and said, "I have brought you the information you asked for." The figure perked up, curious.

"Good. Present it to me." She straightened up again.

"As you wish." A purple crystal shot up through the ground, and like there was a projector somewhere in the clearing, an image appeared on it. It was a picture of a little girl, in an ankle length teal dress, blue ballet shoes, fuchsia pink eyes and brunette hair looking up at something, curious.

"Sa-ku-ra-da. This seems like the place," the girl said. The shadowed figure smiled evilly as the girl picked up her case and walked up to the door. The image disappeared, and the figure got to its feet and declared, "She is at that human house. We must go retrieve her. I entrust that to you Barasuishou." Shesmirked again.

"As you wish, Master."

* * *

"Th-the eighth doll," Suiseiseki gasped. Marina nodded.

"Yep!" Jun walked up behind her and shouted, "Hey! What right do you have to come in here and declare that you're the eighth doll, huh?" Suiseiseki walked out from behind Shinku and said, "Yeah, what if you're lying to us?" Marina's face creased, like she was about to start crying.

"You all don't trust me? But you'll have to if you want to survive the next few weeks!" Suiseiseki was surprised, as were all the dolls. But Jun wouldn't take it.

"Oh please, don't give us that crap!" He picked the girl up by her right leg. The dolls gasped.

"Jun, put her down now!" Shinku ordered.

"But-" Before Jun could say anything, the doll's shoe and sock slipped off in Jun's hand, and the girl hit the floor, her left arm coming out of its socket in the process. The dolls ran to the girl, worried. Suiseiseki, being closest, kicked Jun in the shin.

"What the hell'd you do that for, runt?" Jun didn't drop the shoe, but he clutched his shin while he hopped around in pain.

"I did it 'cause I thought she was playing us! I didn't think her shoe would come off and her arm would pop out!"

"Don't worry about it." The two's argument was stopped as Marina sat herself up and said, "It's nothing." Kanaria said, "But your arm came out." Marina smiled, not at all sad or worried.

"It happens all the time. Whenever I fall off of something, it just comes out, but I can put it back in again. It doesn't really worry me." Hina picked up the arm and gave it back to Marina. Then, she noticed something on Marina's right foot.

"Hey, what's that?" The other dolls looked at Marina's foot. There, in a darker shade of peach, was a heart. Marina smiled.

"That's Father's signature." The dolls were confused.

"But none of us have that mark," Souseiseki said. Marina looked up.

"That's because I'm the only Rozen Maiden to have it. Father normally gives his mark to other dolls, but the Rozen Maidens didn't get it. I'm the only one that has it." She stood up and held out her right hand, her left still on the floor.

"Can I please have my shoe back?" The boy gave it to her. She walked over to the couch and jumped up onto it. As she put her shoe on and took her arm from Souseiseki, Jun asked, "So you're the real deal, huh?" She nodded. She turned from the boy and carefully put the arm in her sleeve and, with an almost silent pop, it went back into its socket. Circling her wrist, she said quietly, "Much better." She jumped off the couch and pushed her case toward Jun. Then she turned to Shinku.

"So where will I sleep?" The doll blinked, confused.

"What?" Marina nodded.

"Yep. Sleep." Hina stepped forward and asked, "You're staying here?" Jun voiced his disapproval.

"What? Oh no, no more! I already have you, Suiseiseki and Hina staying here, and Souseiseki's staying tonight! There's no room!" Shinku turned to the boy, walked forward, and kicked his shin. While he cradled his sore shin, Shinku turned back to Marina and said, "We all sleep in Jun's room. I'll have my servant take your case up. For now, we'll give you a tour." Marina gasped, then gave an excited squeal as she ran from the living room after Hina, who was all too excited to have someone to play with.

"We have another doll staying here?" Jun looked up to see his sister, who had been silent during the whole exchange. He stood up and nodded. Nori smiled.

"Well, I hope she likes Flower-topped Hamburgers, because we having some tonight." Nori walked over to the kitchen, leaving Jun alone with the case. He sighed, and picked it up. He might as well.

"Something tells me it's about to get even crazier around here..."

* * *

Thank you. I have finally finished part 1 of Episode 1. I'm either going to be doing whole episodes or parts of episodes, so updates for this might be slow. For now, for the future when I do a Japanese re-write, here's some facts about Japanese Marina that you might want to know:

1. Just like Suiseiseki says 'Desu', Hina says 'Na no' and Kanaria says 'Kashira', Marina has her own little verbal tic. She says 'Na no da', like Pudding from Tokyo Mew Mew.

2. She looks up to her sisters, calling them Onee-sama. The only one she doesn't call Onee-sama is Hina, who she calls Onee-chan. As time passes, she starts to call everyone but Shinku and Suigintou Onee-chan.

3. A fact for both versions, she lives with Father and wishes to tell the dolls where he is so they'd stop fighting, but he made her promise not to. Screw you, Rozen. :(

Well, that's it. I planned to have this part here, but only this part. In future, this bottom bit, not here. Kapeesh? Good.


	3. Epi1: Marina II

Sometimes, I'll write full-length chapter as one whole episode or write them in parts. Just a heads up.

Also, the bedroom scene, Souseiseki and Marina's talk is kinda based on the manga. Sorry to all those who haven't read it.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

and

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. _

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

The dolls sat in the living room, watching the television. Marina was sandwiched between Suiseiseki and Souseiseki, while Shinku sat with Hina to Souseiseki's right, Kanaria to Suiseiseki's left, and Suigintou, who had arrived moments before, sat on the back of the couch with her back to the TV. Marina blinked.

"Who's that?" Shinku took a sip of her tea before answering.

"That, my dear Marina, is KunKun, one of the greatest detectives out there. Watch as he solves the unsolvable case." Marina blinked again.

"And the culprit is..." The puppet started. Everyone on the couch leaned forward, even Marina.

"YOU!" He exclaimed, pointing dramatically at the Racoon. Marina gasped.

"Wow! KunKun-san is a genius!" Shinku smiled.

"Of course he is." Suigintou frowned.

"I do not see the entertainment that you get from this mere puppet show. It bores me." Shinku glanced at the doll, her expression unreadable, then said, "Say what you like, but KunKun is still the greatest detective ever." Jun walked past holding a basket full of laundry and said to the first doll, "Get used to seeing him a lot. They're all fans." Nori put down several plates on the dining table.

"And it looks like Marina's a fan too." Jun rolled his eyes.

"Great. More of them to beg, 'Oh Jun can we please watch KunKun, oh please, oh please?'" Nori felt the urge to say something, but shrugged it off as she plated up the last bit of food.

"Okay everybody, your Flower-topped Hamburgers are out." Hina gasped, and jumped off the couch, running to the table.

"Yay! Flower-topped Hamburgers!" Kana ran after her, equally excited, with Suiseiseki, Souseiseki, Shinku, and Suigintou following more slowly. Marina was the only one that didn't move. She just blinked, confused.

"What's a Flower-topped Hamburger?" Hina and Kana gasped dramatically.

"Y-you don't know what Flower-topped Hamburgers are?" Hina asked. She shook her head. Nori smiled.

"Well, how about you come try one? This is your plate, Marina," she said, pointing to the middle seat, on the side closest to the TV. Right in between the twins again. Marina shuffled over nervously, and hesitated before climbing on the chair. She just stared at the hamburger, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Why's there a piece of flower shaped egg on the meat?" Nori smiled at the girl across from her.

"That's the point. It's Flower-topped Hamburgers." Marina still didn't eat, but looked around the table. Shinku was eating quietly, Hina and Kana were having an eating contest and Suigintou was also eating quietly, but sometimes she'd stop and stare at it like it were something disgusting. Marina gasped as Suiseiseki, on her right, gave her a nudge and said, "Go on, try it! It won't bite."

Marina picked up her knife and fork and took a piece of the burger. The twins and the humans waited as the girl ate the food silently. She gasped happily, and wasted no time in grabbing herself another piece. They all smiled.

"So is it good?" Marina looked up at Nori, who was looking at her expectantly. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Its way better than anything Father makes!" There was a clatter and silence as Suigintou dropped her fork, which had a piece of burger on it, and everyone just stared at the girl. The girl looked down and muttered, "Oops." It remained silent for a few moments, though it could've been years, no-one could tell, until Suigintou pushed away her plate and flew off, saying, "Megu's expecting me back soon. I'm leaving. Thank you for the tasteful, yet ugly food." Kana slid off her seat as Suigintou left the room.

"Yeah, I gotta leave too, y'know. Micchan's got some new dolls' clothes in and she wants me to try them. Hey, do you guys wanna come round some time and try them too?" Souseiseki sounded almost scared as she hurriedly told the older doll, "No thank you, we're quite happy." The doll looked almost crestfallen, until she shrugged, and jumped out the open veranda doors, closing them when she was outside. Hina looked at the TV, and noticed the familiar little puppet on it. She jumped off her chair.

"Hey Shinku! KunKun's back on!" Shinku nodded, and slid off her chair.

"Yes, I'm coming." Nori put down her knife and fork and asked, "Suiseiseki, Souseiseki, would you please show Marina where she'll be staying?" They nodded. As Suiseiseki slid off her chair, she said to the doll, "Come on, the puny runt's room is just upstairs."

"Okay." Marina jumped off her chair and ran after them.

* * *

"And this is our shelf," Suiseiseki said, pointing to the shelf above Hina's and Shinku's. Marina gasped at how far away it was.

"How do you reach it?" Suiseiseki reached under the shelves and pulled out two blocks.

"We stand on these. It's so easy, the runt could do it." Marina looked around the room again. It was almost empty, apart from the shelves, a bed, a desk with a humming electric creature sitting on it and some boxes crammed into the corner. The dolls' cases were against each other, leaning against the side of the shelves. Marina walked over to the cases and carefully set down hers. Before she could open the lid, there was a loud crash, and then Jun screaming, "LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID NOW!" Suiseiseki sighed.

"What are they doing now? I'll be right back you two." She grabbed Shinku's cane, which was sitting on Shinku's half of her and Hina's shelf, and opened the door, the muffled chaos becoming louder until she closed the door again. Marina set about checking her case, when Souseiseki asking her a question grabbed her attention.

"Do you know...if anything happened to you before you...became the way you are?"

"Huh?"

"I just mean that...maybe...you've...been elsewhere." Marina frowned.

"I still don't get what you mean." The older doll sighed.

"To make it as simple as possible, was a part of you alive before your Rosa Mystica became a part of your body?" Marina blinked. She knew what the doll was talking about, but she didn't know how to say it. She looked down at her case.

"I-I don't know. I-I think so. I know what you're asking, but I don't know how to say it." She turned to Souseiseki again.

"Why do you ask?" Souseiseki didn't answer at first. She remained silent as she remembered something...

* * *

_She was drifting around in a sea of memories. And yet, she couldn't remember anything. Nearby her, there was a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes filled with confusion. She would've thought that she were a mirror image, if it weren't for their differences in appearance._

'_You're lost.' She jumped. At first, she thought it was just her thoughts, until she heard it again._

'_You're lost...aren't you?' She turned, as did the younger girl, to see another young girl, only she looked younger than the other. She had brunette hair and sympathetic fuchsia pink eyes. The girl in pink behind her asked, 'Who are you?' The girl lowered her head, and didn't say anything until she looked up again._

'_Who I am isn't important, but I believe that you two wish to know who you are. You want to remember. But the only way you can remember is to return to your physical bodies.' She gasped._

'_How do we do that?' The girl lowered her head again, but she still looked at them._

'_Normally, after a doll loses his or her soul, they are forced to wander the N-field, searching for a way home. But, since I am here, I pity those who are forced to wander. I guide them home. If you are lost, I can show you the way.' The young girl floated forward, ready to follow her, but she hesitated, prompting the girl to turn and ask, 'Aren't you coming?' She looked away from those worried pink eyes._

'_Well, as much as I'd like to return, we don't even know if we can trust her.' _

'_Well then, let me ask you something.' She gasped at the girl's change in voice, and the other whined, flying back to her. She looked at her, straight in her eyes._

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?' The girl blinked warmly, and held out her hand._

'_Do you trust me? Or better yet, do you trust yourself?' She hesitated, but then gulped, determined..._

_and took her hand._


	4. Epi1: Marina III

I know I work fast, and I know this chapter is not only short but crap, but it's just the last part. Just deal with it, and be thankful you all got such a fast update.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. _

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"Souseiseki?" She snapped back and looked at the confused Marina.

"Huh?" Marina blinked.

"You didn't answer my question. You just blanked out."

"O-oh. Sorry. But, I think we should go downstairs. I think that Suiseiseki will need some help."

"Huh?" Souseiseki walked over to the door, dragging her block behind her, and opened it. Screaming wafted up the stairs and startled the two of them.

"Jun! Drop Hinaichigo and Suiseiseki!"

"No way!"

"Please put Hina down!"

"I swear, if you don't put me down, I am so gonna hurt you, you puny human!" Souseiseki turned to the girl and smiled.

"Come on. We've got to make sure Suiseiseki doesn't kill Jun." Marina nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

Barasuishou jumped from roof to roof, tracing in her head the route to the Sakurada boy's house. She smiled. She jumped onto a large white building with a small in comparison red cross. She jumped down several window sills until she stopped at one with its curtains open. The inhabitants of the room didn't know she was there, so she crouched down and watched the exchange.

"Don't you want some cake, Angel-san?"

"I know it's useless to ask you to stop calling me that."

"Well?"

"Sure. I've had worse." The doll took the plate and looked at it. The girl in the bed tilted her head slightly.

"Something wrong, Suigintou?" The doll scowled as she stared at the cake as if it were the target of her hatred.

"That doll...she said something about Father. It makes me think that she knows him. And by what she says, he lives with him. How could she be so lucky?" The plate cracked as she tightened her grip on it.

"I've always tried my hardest to meet Father. All I've ever wanted was to meet him, to show him that I'm not junk. And then she comes along and says she knows him. How can that be possible?" She screamed, totally shattering the plate and causing the cake the crumble and fall onto the bed sheets.

"Oh, Suigintou!" Barasuishou smiled again, then jumped away from the scene. Now, she was on her way to the human's house.

* * *

Jun limped into his room, panting. Suiseiseki walked past him, into the room.

"Serves you right." She walked over to where Hina was setting up all their cases. Marina held onto her case, and once everyone's cases were set up, she pushed her case to in between the twins'. She then opened the lid. But before she could step inside, Jun asked her something.

"Huh? What was that?"

"I said, what did you mean at dinner about your Father?" She looked down.

"I can't say," she murmured. He leaned forward.

"What?"

"I can't say." Marina looked ready to cry, but before the boy could try and comfort her, she stepped into her case and slammed it shut, although silent sobs could be heard from inside. The other dolls opened their cases.

"Still no luck?" Shinku asked. Jun shook his head. The four dolls sighed.

"She certainly is stubborn, that's for sure," Suiseiseki said. Hina pushed her case lid fully open and put her now free hand on her lap.

"Why does she have to be so secretive?" Souseiseki shook her head.

"Who knows." They put down their case lids and set about trying to get to sleep. Jun stayed awake a few moments more, then, when he gave a long yawn, decided to try again tomorrow.

* * *

Hinaichigo: I wonder who Marina really is.

Shinku: Oh, I'm sure she is who she says she is, it's only what she's hiding that we need to wonder about.

Jun: Yeah, I mean, what's so big that she can't tell us?

Suigintou: Especially about Father.

Suiseiseki: She's so secretive, I can't bare it.

Souseiseki: Maybe she'll tell us something next time?

Marina: Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen...

Shinku: It's secrets cannot be trusted.


	5. Epi2: Dreams I

I'm wasn't really feeling it, so this chapter is not only short but, and yes, don't lie and say it isn't, crap.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan,**

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous),

**Fan of Games**

and

**cherryblossomroses**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. _

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden __Vertrauen_

* * *

Hina gave a large yawn.

"Good morning everyone," she said groggily, rubbing one eye. Marina looked up from her cheese toastie.

"Good morning!" Nori smiled as she shovelled another toastie on the doll's plate. The doll smiled and kicked her feet in excitement.

"Thank you, Nori!" Jun looked at her with disbelief.

"How the hell can you be so cheery and wide awake when we're all still so tired?" Marina shrugged, then started eating her toastie. Suiseiseki and Souseiseki entered, taking their own seats.

"Geez, I feel like I was hit by a truck. And I so don't know how I could feel like that." Shinku sat on the couch, sipping tea and watching KunKun, although she seemed slightly out of it. Her head lolled from side to side and her eyelids started to droop.

"Why is it that we all feel so sleepy...apart...apart..."

"Apart from Marina?" Souseiseki asked. Shinku's head nodded, although with all of its lolling, it was hard to truly tell.

"Yes, apart from...Marina..." The doll fell forward, collapsing in a heap on the floor. Before anyone else could panic over it, they fell over and landed on the floor too, unconscious. Nori screamed.

"AHH! What happened to them?" Jun ran round to Shinku, shaking her.

"Shinku? Shinku!" Marina sighed.

"How stupid." The boy turned sharply to where the doll was sitting, as awake as ever.

"What'd you mean by that?" She turned and looked at him, her eyes giving him a look that read 'Are you the dumbest person in the world?' She sighed again and turned back to her toastie. Jun picked up Shinku and walked over.

"Well?" Marina swallowed what she was eating and put down the toastie.

"How many times has this happened to Shinku?" The boy was slightly surprised at the question.

"Er, um, a-a few times. Why?" Marina looked up at him, looking away only to thank Nori for the tea. She frowned.

"What did you have to do to Shinku to waken her in the first place?" Jun blinked.

"Wind her...up..." Marina looked at him expectantly. Still holding the still doll, the boy hit his forehead.

"Damn, how could I be so stupid?" Marina turned back to her plate.

"Now I see what Suiseiseki means. They've only wound down. Just get their keys and wind them back up again." Jun just stared at her, then looked at the other three dolls.

"Yeah, one problem." She looked at him again.

"Hm?"

"Suiseiseki and Souseiseki's keys are still at their Gramps place, and Tomoe still hasn't found Hina's key. How are we supposed to wind those three up?" Marina gave him the stupid look again.

"Uh, the keys are interchangeable. Try using Shinku's key on all four of them."

"Wait a second, haven't you got a key?"

"I do, but I haven't got it with me." Jun's eye twitched.

"You knew you were coming here, you knew you'd probably wind down, and yet you didn't bring your key?"

"Like I said, they're interchangeable. I could've used someone else's if I needed to. Oh, I'm sorry. I'd be wound down and unable to do anything. You'd have to do everything." As she sipped her tea, Jun placed Shinku carefully on the couch and walked out the door, muttering under his breath, "Lazy, rotten, unreliable..." Marina glanced at the door from the corner of her eye and smiled.

"He isn't such a bad human. He just needs to learn respect."

* * *

Jun shuffled things around his room, looking for the key. It wasn't in Shinku's case, and he just remembered that he'd moved it. But to where, he couldn't remember. He sat on his bed and sighed. Right now, his room looked like a bomb had hit because of his searching. He decided to take a break and think about Marina. She certainly was a curious topic. One minute, she's happy and...well, like Hina. The next, she's sophisticated and smart and picking on him like Suiseiseki and Shinku. He sighed again.

"Why does she have to be so confusing and...secretive?" He picked himself up and set himself back to work.

* * *

"Found it." Jun entered the room, weary after his long search. The dolls had been picked up and were now sitting on the couch with Shinku. Marina, who was sitting on the back of the couch, crossed her arms.

"You sure took your time. It's obvious that you don't even care about their wandering souls." Jun was a bit surprised to hear her talk so personally about wandering souls, but he just shrugged it off and ignored her. First, he picked up Shinku and put the key in the hole in her back. As he twisted it, Marina sat quietly, watching. Once he set her down, he picked up Hina, who was right next to Shinku. Soon, he'd done all four, all the while, Marina watching.

"There. Y'know, I'm hiding this in a safer place. A place that I'll remember." Soon, they started to move. Being the first to be wound, Shinku's eyes fluttered open first. She waited for everyone else to waken before jumping off and walking over to Jun. She waited, then kicked his shin. Hard. While the boy jumped around, clutching his sore shin, she said, "Honestly, it shouldn't take you so long to wind us up. Next time, be faster."

"Why you..." Marina watched the scene, and smiled.

* * *

Barasuishou stopped at looked down at all the humans, frustrated. She snarled.

"How could I get lost? It's almost impossible! But all these humans look the same." She looked up at the sky.

"Honestly, that child is like a snake." Then, she was struck by an idea and smiled.

"I can draw that child out easily. And I know how." She swung over the roof edge and disappeared into the N-Field through the window below her.

* * *

"And Micchan was so worried when I stopped moving this morning. I would've stayed that way if she hadn't remembered I needed to be wound up." Kanaria picked up her cup and took a sip of tea while she listened to what happened at the Sakurada house.

"Well, Hina felt really tired, and suddenly stopped moving."

"Hello, we all stopped moving, you puny ichigo."

"Yes, all of us but Marina."

"Yeah." They all looked at the doll, who was sitting in front of the TV watching KunKun with a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. Kanaria blinked.

"She really is the kind of doll you'd get curious about, y'know," she murmured, for only those at the table to hear. They nodded. Marina cast a side glance at them, prompting them to turn away from her quickly. She sighed, and took a small sip of her tea.

* * *

"I see. So that is your plan." Barasuishou nodded.

"It's simple, Master. And it is made even simpler by the fact that Rozen is away from his mansion at this current time. He doesn't even know the child isn't there." The figure smiled.

"Excellent. Proceed immediately. Focus on the child later." Barasuishou smiled.

"As you wish, Master."


	6. Epi2: Dreams II

Again, Souseiseki's and Marina's talk, manga based.

Reviewers

**Fan of Games,**

**Sin Oan**

and

**cherryblossomroses**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others. _

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

The lid of the case creaked open as Souseiseki looked outside into the dark room. She was staying over for another night due to a problem at her Master's home. She stepped out of the case, holding the lid open for her spirit, Lempicka.

"Come on, hurry," she whispered. Once the little blue spirit was out in the open and floating above Souseiseki's shoulder, she turned to Marina's case.

"She's hiding something," she said to the spirit quietly, "and I intend to find out what." She opened it a crack and made sure the doll was asleep, before opening it fully, wincing when it creaked slightly. The doll inside only shuffled, until she was still once more, and Souseiseki let out the breath she was holding. She nodded to the spirit.

"Go for it, Lempicka." The spirit bobbed several times before it flew up in the air and opened the door to the tiny doll's dream. Souseiseki looked at the sleeper once more before jumping into the dream.

* * *

Souseiseki walked through the mist, still not sure where she was. She furrowed her brow in frustration and confusion.

"This is some secretive doll if her dreams are covered mist."

"But they're not." The mist suddenly lifted to reveal Marina sitting on a bench in front of a pond. The bench was seated on an island, surrounded by water, which Souseiseki was ankle deep in. Marina took a sip of tea before saying, "It's considered rude to enter people's dreams without permission, but I'll let you off this time since you and Suiseiseki do it often." The doll looked away, feeling a bit guilty. Marina spoke up again.

"Would you like to join me?" Souseiseki walked through the water until she stood over the pond. The two watched the koi and goldfish swimming around in circles until Souseiseki asked, "So this is your dreams?" Marina smiled.

"This is more than my dreams. This is what's in my heart. My N-field." More of the mist lifted to reveal more of the world. There were more islands, one with a large tree and another with a fountain. Nearby, there was a beach with the water lapping at the sand. Marina took another sip of tea before asking, "Aren't you going to sit?"

"I'm good," Souseiseki replied. Marina looked like she were about to argue, when she shrugged, and turned back to the pool.

"Did you know," she started, grabbing the older doll's attention, "that inside every doll, there's a small pool that can show past memories?" Souseiseki looked up at her, surprise written clearly on her face. Marina smiled sadly.

"I did know what you talking about yesterday, I just didn't remember. In here, I can see everything that I have experienced in the past, whether it was my essence, or my Rosa Mystica that experienced it." Souseiseki furrowed her brow slightly.

"It was you." Marina looked up from the pool.

"Huh?"

"It was you that helped me and Hinaichigo return, wasn't it?" Marina smiled again. She looked down once more, as if she could see more than just fish in the pool.

"A part of my essence was impatient, couldn't wait any longer. It found its way into the N-field. There, I met the real seventh doll. She was lonely, she was going crazy from the lack of company. Meeting me, she reached out to me, she wanted me to stay and join her. But...I knew that soon, I'd be completed, I'd join Father someday." She stopped to put down her empty cup and rub her eyes.

"I...I didn't want to leave her, but I had to. I wandered, my only company the creatures of the N-field. And then..."

"And then?" Souseiseki asked. The doll looked up at her, surprising her with the flood of emotions in her eyes.

"And then I found the Sea of Memories. All the memories of all humans wrapped up in one eternal sea. I even came across Jun's memories while I explored them." Souseiseki looked down, almost over whelmed by the emotions this child held. And she was just admitting everything to her. Marina sniffed.

"I...I found that puppet...its soul, just wandering...after its cruel torture at Suigintou's hands. I knew that Jun was trying to call it back...but it would never find the way back on its own. So I...helped it. I lead it home." Through her slow, silent tears, she smiled.

"I liked the feeling, watching it returning, entertaining the people it left behind. I decided then and there I'd help all lost souls. It's just too painful to watch people mourn over empty shells. Even if they will never move, it seems better for them to mourn them with a soul inside the shell. That way, at least something will hear them, hear their cries. And maybe...they'll wake up again." Souseiseki walked over and put a hand on Marina's shoulder. She looked up at her.

"I wanted to help everyone, but some were too far, some were too deep, too sunken. They could never return." The pool rippled and shifted, until a picture appeared in its reflection. The older doll just stared at it, dumbstruck. Marina sniffed a few times and wiped her face.

"You and Hina were just floating on the border. If I'd have left it any longer, you both would never have been able to return, even if your Rosa Mysticae returned."

"You asked me if I trusted you." Marina nodded.

"I'm all about trust. But I believe that to truly trust others, you need to trust yourself." Souseiseki sat down, the enormity of what Marina had told her shocking her slightly.

"I'm sorry." She looked up at Marina, who was looking down.

"What?"

"I'm sorry to have just dumped all of this on you." The doll smiled.

"It's alright. Besides, sometimes it's better to talk to someone than keep things inside." Marina looked up and smiled, though tears still rested on her cheeks and eyelids.

"Thank you...Souseiseki."

* * *

The door closed, and Souseiseki closed Marina's case. She turned to her own case, but then she heard another case open and froze.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?" She sighed with relief as she recognised Suiseiseki's voice. She turned to her.

"How long have you been up?" Suiseiseki brushed down her dress as she stood outside her case.

"Since you opened the door. Do you know how sneaky it is?" Souseiseki nodded slowly.

"Yes, but I had good reason." Her sister rolled her eyes.

"Would that reason be that you were curious? We're all curious about that doll, but you so don't see me jumping into her dreams."

"But I found out something!"

"What? What is so fascinating that you invade her dre-"

"Marina brought me and Hinaichigo back!" Suiseiseki froze, shocked.

"She..." Souseiseki nodded. The older brunette looked down.

"Now I see why you stayed tonight as well. But couldn't you have told everyone instead of saying that something was going on at Grampa's?" Her sister shook her head.

"I couldn't. But, she did say I could tell you. Nobody else needs to know."

"But...Shinku-"

"Shinku...Shinku's smart enough to figure it out. But not anytime soon." Before Suiseiseki could ask anything more, Souseiseki walked past her and opened her case.

"Come on, we gotta go to Grampa's tomorrow." She shut the lid, leaving Suiseiseki alone in the room.

"Souseiseki..."


	7. Epi2: Dreams III

After I upload this chapter, updates for Vertrauen will be slow. I apologize to anyone, but that's what I'm doing. Besides, I have plots to think up for the next three episodes.

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses,**

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

**Sin Oan **(Who gave me a very negative, yet honest, review)

and

**Fan of Games**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"Oh," Mrs. Shibasaki sighed. Her husband, who was working at the counter, looked up.

"What is it?" She turned to face him.

"I'm just worried about Souseiseki. She hasn't came back yet." Mr. Shibasaki chuckled.

"Oh Matsu, Souseiseki's tough. She can take care of herself." Looking at his wife's uncertain face, he added, "She's also got Suiseiseki looking after her." Mrs. Shibasaki relaxed and smiled.

"You're right. I should be more worried if Sui-chan doesn't come back with Souseiseki like she said she would." They went back to work, and were just about finished when a tapping at the front shop window. They turned and saw Souseiseki floating in her case just outside it. Before they could say anything, another case whizzed past, and Souseiseki shouted, "Over here!" The case flew back and opened to reveal Suiseiseki.

The elders were relieved, but then they noticed, confused, that there was a case hanging outside of Suiseiseki's. Then, a tiny girl appeared from behind the doll, looking at the elders with curiosity.

* * *

Suiseiseki: Get away from me, you!

Souseiseki: Suiseiseki, what's going on?

Suiseiseki: Just get away! You...YOU LIAR!

Souseiseki: Suiseiseki!

Marina: What did you do?

Barasuishou: Nothing...except tell her the truth.

Souseiseki: Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen...

Suiseiseki: It's secrets so can't be trusted. Just like you, you rotten little sister!


	8. Epi3: Bonds I

I started this as soon as I posted the last chapter, so that's why this update was so fast. Now first, I don't like to see anyone fighting, but I'm an author, and it is important to the story.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan **(You're forgiven ^_^)

and

**cherryblossomroses**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"Well Marina, you just relax. I'll be right back with some cookies." Marina smiled up at the woman.

"Okay Mrs. Shibasaki." The elder chuckled.

"Please, call me Grandma. Everyone does. Be right back. You two, watch her." The twins nodded.

"We will grandma," Suiseiseki said. Marina looked around the small room. It was plain, a typical room you'd find in a typical Japanese house. The house itself was certainly different from Jun's. Marina stood and looked in the mirror. Jun, she reflected, would be returning to school tomorrow. Marina tilted her head. It was confusing to her how humans went to the building called school to learn for five days, then they didn't go for two days.

"Hey, what you thinkin' 'bout?" Marina jumped and turned to face Suiseiseki. Marina blinked.

"I was thinking about Jun, and how he had to go to school tomorrow." Suiseiseki nodded, and turned to help Souseiseki with something, when Marina grabbed her dress. She turned back to the doll.

"Suiseiseki?"

"Yes?"

"What's school? And why do human kids like Jun and Nori have to go there?"

* * *

Suiseiseki was alone, in another world, surrounded by fog. She looked around, her heavy breathing growing faster as she panicked.

"S-Souseiseki?" No reply.

"Sh-Shinku? Marina? Ru-Jun?" Nothing. She walked forward, always looking over her shoulders. She stopped when she found she was getting nowhere. She sighed.

"Where am I?" She whispered. A scuffling to her right made her jump and turn sharply.

"Wh-who's there?" She thought she felt something breathe by her right ear, but she didn't turn to see who it was. She waited.

"Can you trust her?" A voice whispered, cutting through the fog. Suiseiseki whirled round to look behind her.

"Show yourself, you!"

"Can you trust her?" Suiseiseki turned in all directions, searching for the owner of the voice.

"Who? Marina? Of course I can! Now show yourself!" A silent chuckling echoed around the clearing, annoying the doll.

"Oh no, dear Suiseiseki. I don't mean the child, I mean..." Suiseiseki whirled around, ready to run, when she collided with a mirror. She gasped at the reflection. Staring back at her was Souseiseki.

"Your own sister," Barasuishou said, grabbing the doll's shoulders as she tried to back away from the image. Suiseiseki shook her off and turned to attack, only to find her gone.

"Can you really trust her, Suiseiseki?" The brunette turned around again. The mirror was gone, Barasuishou in its place. But her relief was short lived as it materialised again behind the evil doll. Barasuishou smiled.

"Well?" Suiseiseki shook her head, expecting it to be all a dream, a scary dream she'd wake up from. She had no such luck, and answered, hostile, "Of course I can! She's my sister!" Barasuishou narrowed her eyes mischievously, making Suiseiseki uneasy.

"Well then, let's just see how much you can trust her, shall we?" Barasuishou stepped to the side and offered the spot in front of the mirror to the other doll. Suiseiseki gulped, unsure of what she should do. She knew that she trusted Souseiseki and didn't need to see what ever this was, but a part of her just told her to prove Barasuishou wrong. She walked up to the mirror slowly.

"Now, dear Suiseiseki," Barasuishou whispered, walking behind her and looking over her shoulder, "watch, and learn." Suiseiseki gulped, almost afraid of what she'd see. But it was too late now.

A picture formed in the mirror. At first, it was hard to tell what it was. It looked like a picture that had been soaked in water, until it cleared up. At first it was just little images of Souseiseki doing what any child does; stealing an extra cookie, telling little white lies. But Suiseiseki was there in all of them.

"Wh-what does this prove? Huh? I'll tell you. It proves that Souseiseki isn't perfect, that's what. So why bother showing me all this?" Barasuishou chuckled again, causing a shiver to go up the doll's spine.

"Oh, but it gets better," she whispered in Suiseiseki's ear. The pictures changed to something else. Suiseiseki gasped.

"That's..." Barasuishou purred, delighted to be getting the reaction she'd hoped for.

"Yes, that is the scene from earlier, at the Shibasaki's." Suiseiseki watched in silent shock as the scene unfolded.

* * *

"I'm going to go help grandma with the rest of the cookies. Don't finish the rest while I'm gone," said the Suiseiseki in the mirror. As she left the room, Marina turned to Souseiseki and asked, "So you and Suiseiseki are really close, huh?" Souseiseki nodded. While she took another sip of tea, Marina turned to look at the door, prompting the older doll to ask, "Something wrong?" Marina looked back at her with confusion in her eyes.

"Suiseiseki...she seems like a problem." Souseiseki frowned.

"She isn't a problem," she said, emotionless. She just looked down, into her tea. Marina bit her lip.

"I didn't mean a problem, I meant...a handful." Marina waited for a reply, almost certain that Souseiseki would disagree. So it came as a surprise when she sighed and said quietly, "I guess." Marina blinked.

"You...agree?" The doll put down her cup and walked over to the window.

"Suiseiseki is a handle, I will admit it. But she's just like that." Marina held her own cup of tea to her face, but kept her eyes on the doll by the window. Giving the hot cup a small blow to cool it down, she asked, "But doesn't it get annoying?" The image stopped as Souseiseki turned to face the little doll. Suiseiseki looked down, away from the image.

* * *

"Well, are you having second thoughts, Suiseiseki?" Suiseiseki pulled away from the other doll, but she didn't say anything.

"And what about Marina? Can you trust her now?" Suiseiseki's head snapped up.

"Of course! Just because she asks all those questions, doesn't mean I can't trust her! Sh-she just asks all those questions because she's young and curious! It so doesn't mean anything!" Barasuishou smirked.

"So, you are quick to defend the child, yet not your own sister?" Suiseiseki hesitanted. The mirror appeared in front of her again, the image still frozen on the glass.

"There's still more to the story. Do you wish to continue?" Suiseiseki just looked down, until her sister's voice made her look up.

* * *

Souseiseki looked almost guilty as she said, "Sometimes." Marina frowned.

"So...Suiseiseki...she's-" There was a crash from downstairs, and Suiseiseki's voice wafted up the stairs.

"I am so sorry, grandma! I didn't mean to drop it!" Then she started crying. Marina blinked.

"A crybaby. At least, that's what Hina and Kana said."

"She...she does do that a lot," Souseiseki sighed. Marina looked down, almost sad, as she took a sip of her tea.

"You know..." She looked up at the doll, who had turned back to the window.

"I've always looked up to her. Even though she is a crybaby, she can be brave when she has to be. She is always willing to help everyone, and she doesn't want to fight. She's...kind of a role model."

"But?"

"But? There is no 'but'." Marina frowned.

"It's just that, well, Shinku calls her timid and dependant. Doesn't that mean something?"

* * *

"Listen carefully now, Suiseiseki," Barasuishou whispered.

* * *

"It...it means that sometimes, Suiseiseki isn't as strong as I thought."

* * *

Suiseiseki was silent. The mirror disappeared, taking the scene away with it. She collapsed to the ground, her eyes tearing up.

"Now you see, dear Suiseiseki. I was only trying to save you from a distrustful little sister," Barasuishou said. Suiseiseki hid her head in her hands. The other doll smiled evilly.

"I'll leave you alone now." She disappeared into the mist, leaving the doll to cry.

* * *

Souseiseki opened her case, looking around the room.

"Suiseiseki?" Her sister's case wasn't there. The door opened, and Souseiseki quickly closed her case, but stayed awake so she could listen. Somebody walked in. Opening the case a crack, Souseiseki saw Suiseiseki pull her case out of the shadows by the mirror.

"Suiseiseki?" She whispered, though her sister didn't hear her. Suiseiseki just stood in front of the mirror as a soft blue glow was cast over the room. She turned to look at the two cases left, Souseiseki closing her case lid. Then, the light disappeared, and when she opened her case again, Suiseiseki was gone.


	9. Epi3: Bonds II

Yes, I do realise this chapter is quite short, but I prefer doing short chapters to explain things in short. I only do really long chapters if I have to. And by the way, an episode doesn't have to be three or more parts long. Just a note because this episode is three parts, at the least, but I plan to have episode 4 be a whole chapter or two parts long.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

...that's it? I thought people liked this story! It makes me cry.

Marina: They're fake tears.

Prove it!

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

The two dolls walked downstairs and were met by the worried faces of Mr. and Mrs. Shibasaki. They turned to them, Mrs. Shibasaki holding a letter.

"Oh, Souseiseki, Marina, do you know where Sui-chan is?" They shook their heads.

"Her case wasn't in the room this morning," Marina said, just as worried. Mrs. Shibasaki gave them the letter.

"She left this, but it doesn't say where she went," she sobbed, putting her head in her hands. The dolls looked over the letter.

The letter read, _'Dear Grandma, Grandpa, Marina and sister _(This worried Souseiseki further)_,_ _I apologize for just suddenly leaving with nothing but this letter to explain, but I do have a reason that I do not wish to say right now. If I were to tell you, I'd rather say it to your faces than in a letter. I wish to thank you both for having me, and I hope I wasn't a bother. I promise to visit, but not anytime soon. Please don't worry about me. Suiseiseki.'_

Marina just blinked over it, her eyes betraying nothing, whereas Souseiseki furrowed her brow in worry, confusion and frustration.

"Why would she just leave?" She muttered, more to herself than to the room.

* * *

Shinku opened the storage room door and perked up in confusion to see a sobbing Suiseiseki. She had her case with her and she was sitting next to the mirror.

"Suiseiseki?" She looked up suddenly, and was almost scared to see that Shinku had found her.

"How long have you been in here?" She looked back down again.

"Since last night," she said quietly, forcing Shinku to strain to hear her. Shinku stared at the doll with surprise.

"Last night? But why? Where are Souseiseki and Marina?" Suiseiseki rested her head on her knees.

"Still at Grandma and Grandpa's. They didn't come with me." Shinku, as much as she would have not wanted to, sat next to her sister on the dusty floor. Suiseiseki hid her eyes in her knees and started crying, and when Shinku put her hand on her back, she threw herself at the blonde. She cried into Shinku's shoulder, Shinku not questioning it for a while, and not even saying anything while the doll stained her dress with her tears. Shinku decided not to ask questions her until she was ready to talk.

* * *

Barasuishou slipped through the window and smiled at the silence that greeted her. The mansion was dark, silent, and empty. The workshop was littered with doll parts, and it seemed that the man had left behind a doll that had still to be given an arm and a leg. Her empty eyes stared out at Barasuishou, who was partly freaked out by all the empty eyed doll heads staring at her. She looked down and smirked at the little heart shaped mark on the doll's foot.

"Foolish man. Why have a signature when you don't give it to your greatest works?" She turned and left the room, walking into a large closet. She knew what she was looking for and where it was, but that was the downside of the dark. She didn't know where it was in the dark. She felt along the shelves of the closet, until she felt something different. Most of the things in the closet were extra doll parts, some ceramic, some soft fabric, there for what reason, she didn't know.

But this was metal. It had a round top and, upon further feel, had a lock. Barasuishou smiled. She summoned up her crystal sword and grabbed the box. She ran out of the room and crouched down beneath the window in the workshop. The faint light from outside, and the work lamp at the desk, allowed her to see the box properly. It was red and partly battered, with several dents on it. The lock was shiny and new, and in a quick moment, was in two parts. The padlock fell to the floor, and Barasuishou opened it.

She shuffled through the contents until she found what she was looking for. She didn't bother to put the box back where she found it, or even bother to fix or replace the padlock. She just put it on the worktop and exited the mansion through the window, before disappearing altogether through the reflection in the waterfall at the edge of the N-field.


	10. Epi3: Bonds III

In this, to avoid confusion that I don't want to PM you all to explain or explain next chapter, in this chapter, we have a bond 'made'. In short:

Suiseiseki and Souseiseki = broken bond

Suiseiseki and Hinaichigo = made bond

Reviewers

None

...I wasn't really expecting any since I uploaded this really soon after uploading the last chapter.

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Jun, Nori and Hina were surprised to see Shinku leading a teary faced Suiseiseki through into the living room. Neither acknowledged the three sitting at the dining table, about to tuck into Nori's Flower-topped Hamburgers. Shinku led the brunette to the couch, and said in a comforting voice, "Wait here. Jun will make you some hot, fresh tea. It will calm you down." Jun, hearing this, just stood and set to work, too shocked by Suiseiseki's behaviour to argue or comment. Hina jumped down from the table and walked over to the doll.

"Suiseiseki? What's wrong?" Suiseiseki hesitated, but, just when she seemed about ready to answer, a recent memory stopped her and she started crying again. But what shocked and surprised everyone most was, even though muffled by her hands, what she said.

"Oh Souseiseki, how could you?"

* * *

Marina looked into the mirror. Souseiseki was downstairs, with Mr. and Mrs. Shibasaki. She furrowed her brow in frustration.

"Okay, show yourself. I know you're there, waiting. Come on, show yourself. Explain." Barasuishou appeared in the mirror reflection, a smirk on her features.

"Why hello there, child. You've been causing me trouble. Did you think you were playing hide and seek?" Marina's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't know I was being searched for until Suiseiseki disappeared. What did you do to her?" The doll in the mirror chuckled.

"Nothing. I swear." Marina bared her teeth.

"You must've done something, otherwise Suiseiseki wouldn't have left. And I saw the letter. What did you tell her about Souseiseki?" Barasuishou narrowed her eyes in mischief.

"I only told her the truth. I was helping her." Marina snorted.

"Why don't I believe that?" Barasuishou smiled, though it wasn't a warm smile.

"I showed her that she couldn't trust Souseiseki. That Souseiseki says things about her when she's not around. In fact, why am I saying this? You were there." Barasuishou leaned forward, her head and shoulders coming out of the mirror, far enough that she could whisper in Marina's ear, "You want to know something?"

"What?"

"She was quick to defend you asking all those questions, instead of her own sister, who answered them all." She leaned back into the mirror.

"And, if you ask me, I'm sure that Souseiseki was totally honest in her answers. She truly does believe that Suiseiseki is weak." Marina growled, but there was a knocking at the door before she could say anything about Barasuishou's accusation. The doll disappeared just as Mrs. Shibasaki opened the door.

"Oh, Marina-chan, I didn't know you were in here, I thought Souseiseki was here," she said, her voice cracked with grief. Marina blinked.

"Souseiseki?" She nodded, her hands shaking. She was holding a lacy handkerchief, which she rubbed her wet cheek with.

"Yes, she came upstairs. I thought she came in here. Where could she be?" Marina turned back to the mirror, this time, her own worried reflection stared back at her. She remembered that during her talk with Barasuishou, she had heard a shuffling outside the door. It wasn't loud enough to scare off the other doll like Mrs. Shibasaki's arrival had, but Marina had heard it. She'd paid it no attention, until then. She came to a conclusion.

Souseiseki had over heard them and had set out to try and find Suiseiseki.

* * *

Hina sat on her stomach, drawing in Jun's room. She already had a pile of finished drawings next to her, and her spirit Berrybell was hovering over her. She looked up as Suiseiseki entered. Her head was down and her sleeves and parts of the skirt of her dress were stained with tears. She sniffed a few times as she made her way towards the cases set up beside the shelves. Hina watched as she pulled Shinku's out and opened it.

"Unyuu?" Suiseiseki jumped and turned, seeing Hina for the first time.

"O-oh, puny ichigo! Wh-what are you doing here?" Hina tilted her head slightly.

"Hina lives here. Hina thought that Suiseiseki was with Sou-"

"Do not say her name!" Hina jumped as Suiseiseki snapped. Fresh tears sprung to her eyes, and she collapsed to her knees.

"Please, just don't say it. Don't say it, don't say it," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking as her tears washed through her hands and dripped onto the floor. Hina frowned, worried. She'd seen Suiseiseki cry before, but she'd never seen her this sad. Hina got to her feet and walked over to the grief stricken doll.

"Suiseiseki, please don't cry. Please." Suiseiseki looked up, and was surprised to find Hina's cheeks glistening with tears. Although hesitant at first, the older doll grabbed the tiny blonde in a comforting hug.

"You are such a crybaby, puny ichigo," she said, though it was more joking than teasing. Hina sniffed, and hiccupped.

"You're such a crybaby, Suiseiseki." The doll smiled for the first time that day.

"Yeah. I guess."

* * *

Hinaichigo: Suiseiseki, do you want to talk?

Suiseiseki: Sure. Maybe it could help.

Marina: It seems those two are closer.

Barasuishou: And who have you got to thank?

Marina: Not you that's for sure. And where's Souseiseki?

Barasuishou: How should I know? Ask Suiseiseki.

Suiseiseki: Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen...

Hinaichigo: Its secrets cannot be trusted.


	11. Epi4: Tears I

I know this was quick, but I am on a roll. I apologize for excluding Suigintou up until now, and Kanaria, but Suigintou is in this one, and Kana makes an appearance next chapter.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

and

**cherryblossomroses**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Jun and Shinku sat watching the KunKun show, Shinku holding a very fresh cup of tea. Taking a sip, she said, "I do believe Nori has gotten better in her tea making skills. Yours however, Jun..." She trailed off. Jun turned to her, confused.

"Mine however?" She put the cup on her saucer and turned to the dining room table. Jun looked back as well and was visibly shocked and surprised to see Suiseiseki and Hinaichigo actually getting along.

"Suiseiseki, please pass Hina the pink crayon." The doll nodded and reached into the box and gave it to her.

"Thank you!"

"You know, it's actually a good picture, Hinaichigo." Hina turned to her, a light green eyes sparkling.

"You think?" Suiseiseki nodded, a small smile on her face as she looked at the picture. Nori walked in and saw them together.

"Oh, Hina, Suiseiseki. Are you two fighting again?" She asked, worried. Hina shook her head.

"Nope! Hina and Suiseiseki are having fun together!" Nori relaxed slightly, and she put her school bag on the dining room table across from the two dolls. Hina jumped off her chair and ran round to show Nori her picture.

"Look Nori, look!" Nori picked it up and smiled. Then she noticed something odd about the picture. Two things actually. First, Hina normally drew Suiseiseki with a frown since she'd never been truly nice to her before. And second...

"Hina, where's Sou-?" "Please don't say her name around Suiseiseki." Nori was surprised, and looked down and the little doll.

"Suiseiseki is unhappy right now, and it must have something to do with her. Until she's ready to talk, Hina would like to ask that you please don't say her name around Suiseiseki." Shinku looked down into her cup, as if she could see many secrets in it. She sighed and took a sip. Nori looked at Suiseiseki, who had a sad look on her face and was looking down, before giving the picture back to Hina. Hina put the drawing on the table, and said to Suiseiseki, "Do you want to go upstairs?" She nodded, and the two left the room. Nori set about making Flower-topped Hamburgers.

"It's a little strange, is it not?" She and Jun turned to Shinku, who was staring at the TV, but wasn't watching it. She sighed.

"I find it very hard to believe that Souseiseki is the cause of Suiseiseki's problems. But to suddenly hate her so much...someone must be behind this." Jun leaned back and looked at the ceiling.

"But who? Suigintou?" Shinku looked down.

"No. Not even Suigintou is this evil." Nori looked down at the two eggs she was holding.

"What about that other doll?" Jun and Shinku turned to Nori.

"That other doll? Bara...Bara..." Shinku's eyes widened.

"Barasuishou?" Nori nodded, though she didn't turn to face them.

"Yeah, her. What if it's her?" Jun stood up sharply, frustration etched into his features.

"Are you kidding me, Nori? I saw her collapse into a million pieces myself! If she's returned, then there must be some god of a doll maker out there that could've fixed her!"

"But..." They both turned to Shinku, whose face was hidden by her low bonnet. She looked up, a distant sadness and reconciliation in her eyes.

"But it is possible, that Barasuishou has return and has set such events into motion. But for what purpose, I wonder?"

* * *

Marina wandered the N-field, opening many doors, searching. A tiny, aqua blue orb floated up to her. She pouted in frustration.

"Honestly Teardrop, make up your mind. First you tell me she's around here, now you tell me she's over there. I'm beginning to think you've got a few screws loose." The orb pulsated a few times, prompting the doll to pout further.

"I don't care if you can't have screws loose, your screws are loose. As soon as I return to Father, I am asking for a new artificial spirit," she said, floating off in the direction indicated by Teardrop with her arms crossed and her head in the air. As she floated past a door, her spirit stopped her.

"Are you sure it's this one?" Teardrop pulsated a few times. The doll sighed.

"If she isn't here, I am going straight to Father and getting a new spirit. I promise." She opened the door to find a desert, with a set of ruins in the centre of them. Most of the ruins were buried in the sand, but the tops stuck out. Marina floated into the world.

"Souseiseki?" No reply. She landed on the sand and walked toward the ruins. Suddenly, a little blue orb appeared in the distance. It rushed toward the doll, stopping her in her tracks. She blinked several times.

"Lempicka?"The spirit flew around her.

"Where's Souseiseki?" The spirit flew a figure of eight in front of the doll, panicked. Marina gasped.

"Take me to her!" She ran to the very centre of the ruins, following the little spirit. She glanced at her little spirit, flying beside her.

"You know, I might just keep you," she teased. The spirit led them to a tomb underground, just protected by the sand. Sand still covered the floor, but it wasn't very deep. It went up to Marina's knees, prompting her to take off her shoes and empty them. The spirits flew up to her again, Lempicka impatient as well as panicked.

"I know, I know, I'm coming," Marina said, annoyed. She was led round the centre piece of the tomb, and gasped.

"Souseiseki!" She ran forward to help the doll.

"How did this happen?" She kept her eyes down as Marina tried to help her out from underneath the lid of the coffin.

"I was searching for Suiseiseki. I came here and when I was looking around in here when the lid came off and collapsed on me. I've been trapped for hours." Marina blinked.

"Stay still. I'm gonna try something." Souseiseki's eyes widened as Marina held out a hand and a sphere of water appeared. It stretched out until it was a pole and it turned to ice. She stuck it under the lid and jumped up on it, trying to put her whole weight on it. Fortunately, it was just enough to lift the lid and let the other doll out. The ice pole snapped and Marina landed on the sand with and 'Oof!'

"Thank you," she panted. Marina shook the sand off her skirt but stayed seated.

"You overheard me and Barasuishou?" She looked down, avoiding the tiny doll's eyes. Marina frowned, and said, "You shouldn't take her seriously. She didn't know you were there, but she was trying to throw me off. She's been searching for me, for what reason I still don't know." Souseiseki still didn't answer, she just sat there, looking down. Marina got ready to talk again, just to fill the thick, awkward silence, when she spoke.

"I...didn't mean it like that. I just meant that maybe, she was just..."

"Just what?" Souseiseki sighed.

"To be honest...I don't know..."

* * *

Suiseiseki just sat on Jun's bed, listening to the outside world fly by. She sighed. She'd found a new friend in Hina, but it just wasn't enough. There was still an empty void, where Souseiseki should be. They'd always been together. Even in that moment when she didn't trust Mr. Shibasaki, she never gave up hope that her sister would see sense. In the end, she'd been the one to see sense. She gave a sad smile, and fresh tears appeared in her eyes.

"Souseiseki...how could you...how could you say that?"

* * *

Suigintou watched from a building, across from Megu's window, as the girl had a fit and nurses had to enter her room and try and sedate her. Even though she was only her medium, Suigintou could feel her pain twisting her heart. It was so painful, she looked away, yet the screams were so loud, they grabbed the attention of passers-by. The doll couldn't take it anymore, and she flew off.

When she reached a distance where she could not only no longer hear the screams anymore, or feel the pain like a branding iron, she stopped and started panting. She gripped her chest as a fresh wave washed over her, and her ring started to glow. She gasped at the red hot feeling, as she gripped her hand.

"Wha-what's going on? I'm a doll, this isn't supposed to happen. I'm supposed to take my medium's strength, not the other way around!"

"But doesn't she need it more?" Suigintou looked up and gasped.

"You..." Barasuishou stood in front of her, yet on the roof across from her. She bared her teeth in a snarl.

"What have you done to Megu?" Barasuishou chuckled, reminding Suigintou so much of when she used to be a cold-hearted beast.

"I'm only saving you a burden. Having a medium that's full strength is her entire life must be frustrating. Why, it's a struggle everyday, just to see another sunrise. I'm only putting you and her out of your pitiful misery." Suigintou flew forward and screamed, through the pain, "Tell me what you did to her!" Barasuishou disappeared, and reappeared behind Suigintou. She grabbed the doll's wings with one hand, and shot forth a barrage of purple crystals. The shocking memory of her last moments in the fake Alice Game raced through Suigintou's mind before she collapsed, exhausted. The other doll chuckled again.

"Might as well put you out of your misery as well. But, I will spare you. You are needed."

"Wha...What do you mean?" The doll gasped, struggling to get onto all fours. Barasuishou leaned forward and whispered, "That's a secret." Suigintou found new strength, and flew to the air and turned, ready to pierce the doll with a million feathers. But, when she did this, she gasped. Barasuishou had disappeared.


	12. Epi4: Tears II

I hope this wasn't to off. I'm sorry if anything seems odd. I don't know how, but it just seems that way.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

**Fan of Games **(I'm not offended. That's your opinion and I respect that. And, extra note, Sin Oan's a girl.)

and

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Kanaria sat, waiting, on the couch in Micchan's apartment. She kicked her feet and sighed.

"I bored, y'know," she said to know one in particular. Pizzicato flew up to her a bobbed several times.

"I know, but Micchan's been gone for an hour now and there's nothing to do, y'hear," she told the spirit. The little spirit flew around her, and she frowned, frustrated.

"Well it's not as if somebody's just gonna appear through the mirror, y'know!" And, just at that moment, Marina and Souseiseki appeared through the mirror. Kana just blinked, until she said to the spirit, "That doesn't mean anything, y'hear."

"Kanaria, you must help us," Marina begged. Kanaria blinked, confused. However, upon further inspection, their clothes had many tears in them, and they were panting as if they'd been running. Kana's eyes widened, and she jumped off the couch and ran to them.

"Are you okay?" She asked. They nodded, but they didn't stand. Then, Micchan opened the door to the apartment and shouted, "Kana, I'm home!"

"Micchan!" Kanaria ran through to her medium while the other two dolls tried to stand. Micchan walked through to the main room and gasped, out of shock rather than astonishment.

"What happened?" Kana rushed to help Souseiseki when she collapsed. Marina frowned.

"Barasuishou..." Kana stiffened.

"Kanaria, what's wrong?" Kanaria turned to her medium, fear etched into her features.

"BaraBara...she...made Kana stop moving..." Micchan was horrified.

"Bu...but you came back!" Kana ignored her medium's comment and turned to Marina, worried.

"BaraBara's returned...hasn't she?" Marina only looked away, confirming the doll's fears.

* * *

Hina looked away from the kettle on the cooker, as did Shinku to KunKun, when they heard a crash from upstairs. A scream followed it. Hina gasped.

"Suiseiseki!" She jumped off the chair and ran upstairs, Shinku followed after her, running in an unladylike manner, which she didn't care about. She just wanted to get upstairs. When they threw open the door, the sight was shocking.

Suiseiseki was cowering in the corner of the room while Suigintou lay, still, surrounded by shards of glass beneath a broken window. Hina ran to the distressed doll while Shinku just stared at Suigintou with shock.

"Suiseiseki, what happened?" Hina asked her. Shaking with fear and shock, she stuttered, "S-Suigintou...she just...f-flew through the w-window." Shinku took a step forward, toward the doll, but stopped when she started moving. Suiseiseki screamed, trying to get further into the corner. The doll's head looked up, and Shinku gasped at the wanting, the begging in her pink eyes.

"S...Shinku..." the doll whispered, reaching forward. Shinku walked forward, ignoring Hina and Suiseiseki's plea's to stop. Shinku bent down and grabbed Suigintou's arms, not in a helpful way, but not in a hostile way either.

"Suigintou...what happened to you?" Suigintou reached up to Shinku's shoulders and used the doll, who didn't complain, to pull herself up onto her knees. Her wings hung limply against her back, her clothes were torn and tattered, and for the first time, Shinku noticed the doll's glowing ring. She gasped.

"S-Suigintou, your ring..." Suigintou panted, as if the very effort of living were tiring.

"Ba...Bara..." she tried to pant out, but then she collapsed forward, on to the smaller doll. Shinku and the other doll's eyes widened.

"Barasuishou?" She prompted. Suigintou cracked open her eyes, and nodded slowly.

"She...she's...returned..." She couldn't take it anymore and fell over onto her side, her head slipping off Shinku's shoulder.

"Suigintou!" Fortunately, the doll was only unconscious. However, what she'd said still echoed in Shinku's head.

"S...Shinku?" She turned around to see Hina with Suiseiseki cowering behind her walk up to her. She looked down, and cast a glance at the vulnerable Suigintou. Her ring cast a bright purple/pink light around the room.

"I'm afraid my fears have been confirmed." She turned to her sisters, determination on her face, yet her eyes betrayed worry.

"Barasuishou has returned."

* * *

Barasuishou smiled as her master toiled over the empty shell. Soon, she'd breathe, walk, live. The plans lay beside him on the desk. She turned to them and smiled again at the success of her mission.

"Master, are you pleased?" The man looked up from the doll, and turned to Barasuishou.

"Yes. Very. These plans are very useful to us if we are to be rid of those weak Rozen Maiden dolls. But, we are still to capture the child. She is Rozen's greatest treasure." Barasuishou nodded.

"He prevents her from fighting in the Alice Game."

"Which I would like you to fight once more." Barasuishou perked up, and frowned.

"No. I could never go through the Alice Game again. I apologize Master, but after the loss of my Father because of his wishes, I vowed to never compete in the Alice Game ever again." The man turned away from her and he picked up the doll.

"No matter. Some of these creations will be complete soon, and they will fight. You needn't worry about a thing, my dear."

* * *

Tomoe set about putting away her school things, when she spotted Jun still seated at his desk. She left her bag and walked over. She just watched over his shoulder, reflecting. Jun had only been back at school for a while, but he'd already settled in well with everyone. The teachers gave him easy work so far, but soon, he'd have to go through the hard stuff like the rest of them. Suddenly, as if he knew he was being watched, Jun turned around.

"Oh, Tomoe. What are you still doing here?" The girl smiled, which she rarely did.

"I should ask you the same thing," she replied, chuckling slightly. Jun looked away.

"The teachers let me stay behind sometimes to catch up. And you?" Tomoe looked away, to the window, but not because she was nervous, but more envious.

"I'm the student representative. I have to stay back." They both avoided each other's gaze, both turning slightly red. A teacher entered, and gasped when she saw them.

"Oh, Sakurada, Kashiwaba, I didn't know you were both still here." Jun stood up, pushing back his seat.

"It's okay, Miss, I was just going home." Tomoe walked back to her desk and picked up her bag.

"And I was about to go to the meeting room." Jun left the room as soon as he'd packed up, but Tomoe hesitated.

"Miss. Kashiwaba? Aren't you going?" Tomoe looked up and nodded.

"Y-yes. I'm leaving now. Have a nice day." She bowed to the teacher as she left, but found herself waiting just outside the door before walking off. She looked over her shoulder, where Jun was still visible in the hall across. She sighed.

* * *

Nori, Hina and Suiseiseki still found it worrying that Suigintou was around. But Shinku assured them that she was in no state to fit in her current condition. It was only fair that they help her. Her ring wouldn't stop glowing, but she had at least regained some of her strength. She sat on the couch, her eyes dropping occasionally, not registering anything around her. Shinku couldn't stop staring at her from her vantage point at the dining table. She soon jumped off her chair and took her cup with her. She joined the first doll on the couch.

"S...Shinku...why are...you..." she trailed off as Shinku turned to look at her.

"I have come to join you. And..." she lowered her voice so only Suigintou could hear her, "I wish to ask you some questions." Suigintou bit back a scream as a fresh wave of pain blew over her.

"Megu..." she hissed, then turned back to Shinku. The doll's ice blue gaze hadn't left her.

"W-well? Wha...What are you waiting for?" Shinku looked away and took a sip of tea. Putting the cup back on the saucer, she asked, "Why?" Suigintou frowned.

"Why what?" Shinku turned to her sharply, a great will to know in her eyes.

"Why did you return Souseiseki's Rosa Mystica all that time ago? Why did you change all of a sudden? Why have you stopped in your quest to win the Alice Game? I wish to know, not for my sake, but for everyone's!" Suigintou was taken aback at all the questions. She looked down.

"I...That time I disappeared...I was searching for something..."

"What?" Suigintou narrowed her eyes.

"I was searching for something...an...an explanation. Why had everything happened the way it had? Was those certain events fate or did they just happen? I had always wondered that. From the moment I was abandoned, to Barasuishou wining the Alice Game. Do things just happen, or does some unseen force plan them out? What I found didn't answer that question, but it answered every other unanswered question I'd ever asked." She turned to Shinku, and her eyes were filled with sorrow and forgiveness, and tears started to come to her eyes.

"Shinku...I am truly sorry...about everything I've done. You were right. None of us were ever truly junk. And yet, to think of Souseiseki...like that...I know now what it's like to lose my Rosa Mystica...and to think I caused that pain...I never want to cause that sort of pain again. That is why I quit the Alice Game. But it seems that if Barasuishou has returned, it will start again. And I don't want to go through that again. To cause you, Megu...or myself that kind of pain. Ever...again..."

* * *

Barasuishou: I have truly returned, dear Maidens.

Shinku: You are the cause of everything so far. Are you not?

Barasuishou: You know me too well, Shinku.

Suigintou: Where's Megu?

Kanaria: Hey Suiseiseki, I've brought you someone.

Suiseiseki: No, it's too soon.

Barasuishou: Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen...

Suigintou: It's secrets cannot be trusted...


	13. Epi5: Heartache I

Sorry this is so short, but like I said in another chapter, I prefer working on shorter chapters.

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

**Sin Oan** is still to review, but I know she will. Maybe next chapter if I upload it fast enough.

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Later that night, the dolls, Jun and Nori were tucking into Flower-topped Hamburgers. Unlike Suigintou's visit during Marina's arrival, said doll stayed quiet, eyes down on her food, and she just pushed it around her plate, eating every now and then. Suiseiseki and Hina kept on casting nervous glances her way, afraid that what Shinku said was not true. Nori sensed the tense atmosphere coming from the two of them and said, "Um, h-hey, how about some Strawberry Berry Cake after dinner?" Hina gasped happily.

"Yay!" Suigintou looked up and gave the teen a weak smile. Nori smiled back at her. Suddenly, there came a loud crash from the storage room, and Kanaria's screaming filled the house. Jun just shrugged and continued to eat, gaining him several looks from Suiseiseki, Nori and Hina. The doll entered the room, dusty and coughing. Then, she saw everyone, but her eyes rested on Suiseiseki.

"Suiseiseki! You're here! Hey," she turned to something outside the room, "she is here, y'know! In this room, right now, y'hear!" The atmosphere suddenly became thick as Suiseiseki's eyes met Souseiseki's. Suiseiseki gulped, shaking slightly. Shinku didn't even take a sip of her tea. She just sat closer to Suigintou, whose ring had started to glow again, and who was doubled over, panting. Hina looked between the twins, worried. Then, Marina appeared from behind the younger twin.

"Hello!" She smiled, breaking the tension.

* * *

Four dolls sat on a shelf, asleep. The man was still working on the fifth doll, and changing the plans of the sixth. Barasuishou was already around, so he didn't need to build another seventh. The only thing that frustrated him was that after the Barasuishou incident, Rozen had been smart enough to destroy the eighth doll's plans. He growled.

"I will figure out a way to get that doll's plans. Even if I have to capture her and find out what makes her tick personally."

* * *

The twins sat on separate ends of the couch, not looking at each other. Shinku and Suigintou sat between them, Suigintou nearer Suiseiseki to avoid starting anything with Souseiseki. Hina and Kana sat on the floor, looking at the four with worry. Hina turned to Kanaria sharply, making her jump.

"Can Hina talk to you out in the hall?" Kanaria nodded slowly.

"O...Okay..." The little doll dragged the older doll out of the room, almost colliding into Jun and Nori, who were returning from their own talk. Out in the hall, Hina turned to Kana, hostility in her eyes.

"How could you bring her here while Suiseiseki isn't happy with her?" Kanaria jumped back against the wall, shaking with fear at her younger sister's sudden outburst. She never knew that Hina could be so angry.

"I didn't know, y'hear! Souseiseki didn't mention that she and Suiseiseki were fighting!" Hina screamed throwing her hands in the air.

"How can you call yourself the smartest of the Rozen Maidens? You are not the smartest Rozen Maiden! You are the dumbest to bring Souseiseki here while Suiseiseki is like this!" Kana blinked, shocked, until she furrowed her brow in anger.

"I didn't know they were fighting, y'hear! And who are you to call dumb? You're only a child, y'hear! A child!" Hina gasped, until she clenched her teeth. Kanaria pouted. And they both shouted, "WHY WERE YOU EVER MY FRIEND?" And Kana stomped off to the storage room while Hina stomped back into the living room. She sat herself with a thump on the floor and crossed her arms, pouting. Shinku took a sip of her tea and said, "Quite loud, weren't you, Hinaichigo?" Marina poked her head through the door and asked, "Where's Kanaria? I thought I heard her and Hina shouting." Jun turned to her.

"Where were you anyway?" Marina walked up to the group and looked around them. Suiseiseki and Souseiseki were still ignoring each other, Hina was pouting on the floor with her arms crossed, near tears, and Shinku was talking quietly with Suigintou. She blinked and turned to Suigintou.

"You say your medium is in pain thanks to Barasuishou?" She nodded, wondering where this was going. Everyone else turned to the little doll too, ignoring their own problems. She turned away, looking down.

"I've found a way to help her." Suigintou gasped, and she leaned forward.

"Wh...what is it?" Marina turned back to them, but this time, she looked at the twins.

"It involves Suiseiseki and Souseiseki."


	14. Epi5: Heartache II

I originally planned to drag out the twins' fight, meaning that they wouldn't get back together until a later episode, but I just couldn't do it. I hate those two fighting. But both original seasons of RM has a fight between the twins. We all hate the fights, but we do love the twins.

And I apologize to **Sin Oan **for nicking your idea about Suiseiseki hiding under the bed in frustration and anger. It was just a really good idea. So all credit for that goes to you.

And I'm sorry for such a short chapter.

Ps. I'm catching up in Epi Numbers and Chappies, Sin. I'm catching up! LOL ^_^

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

**Sin Oan **told me herself that there was something wrong with her computer, so she might not review for a while.

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"Come on, you're being ridiculous now," Jun said, bending down to look at the doll beneath his bed. Suiseiseki cast him a defiant look.

"I'd rather be ridiculous than work with her!" Marina bent down beside the boy.

"But Suiseiseki, you and Souseiseki have to work together to help Suigintou's medium." Suiseiseki looked away.

"Why should I care? It's Suigintou's medium, not the runt! Besides, what has Suigintou ever done for me?" Shinku sighed, and closed her book.

"Honestly, you are being so childish, Suiseiseki." Suiseiseki poked her head out from beneath the bed to pout at the blonde.

"I am not so being childish! Kana's childish!" Shinku jumped off the bed and said, "Very well then. If you insist on confining yourself to Jun's room, then do so. But sooner or later, you and Souseiseki will have to talk. It is unavoidable." She walked to the door with Marina behind her. She turned back to Jun.

"Come now. We should leave her alone for a moment." Jun sighed.

"Fine. I'm coming." He stood and ignored the doll. When the door closed, Suiseiseki poked her head out again and pulled herself out from beneath her medium's bed. She walked to the cases and pulled out her own. She opened the case, but she didn't step into it yet. Even though no-one said anything, she knew that Souseiseki had entered the room. Suiseiseki tightened her grip on her case lid.

"What do you want?" She hissed through clenched teeth. Souseiseki sighed.

"Can you at least explain to me why you're so mad at me?" Suiseiseki turned on her sister, making her jump.

"I can't trust you, that why!" Souseiseki furrowed her brow in confusion and worry.

"Wha...but you can trust me!"

"I obviously can't! I know what you and Marina were talking about when I was helping grandma with the cookies that night! Why did you say that?" Now, there was tears gathering in the doll's eyes, and her hostility and anger had been washed away by her sadness and hopefulness.

"Why did you say I'm not strong? I am strong. I am strong enough to have survived the fight against Barasuishou. I have fought battles that not even you knew about." The younger twin blinked.

"Like what?" Suiseiseki closed her eyes and threw herself at her twin, surprising her.

"Like trying to stay mad at you." Suiseiseki cried into her sister's shoulder, while Souseiseki smiled with relief.

* * *

Later that night, the window to Megu's hospital room slid open, and three small shadowed forms jumped into the room. The girl's figure looked peaceful, yet her face was twisted with pain, the only sign that she was not at peace in her sleep. Suddenly, the room was filled with pink, green and blue light, revealing the three figures to be Suigintou, Suiseiseki and Souseiseki. They turned to the girl in the bed, whose medium ring was giving off a faint pink glow. Suigintou looked at the glowing accessory with worry.

"She's close to death," she whispered, more to herself then to keep quiet. Suiseiseki just looked at the girl.

"Hard to believe that a girl like this became your medium," she said to the winged doll. Her sister put a warning hand on her shoulder. However, Suigintou just sighed.

"I guess. It's as if...she's..."

"Changed you?" Suiseiseki offered. Suigintou turned to them.

"Enough chatter. Do what you came here to do." The twins nodded, and their spirits flew into the air, creating a spiralled black cloud above them. The three jumped up into it and into the girl's dreams.


	15. Epi5: Heartache III

Marina is not over taking the story. Just a note, in case it seems like that. Also, I'm sorry this took a while. I can write a story, but I just get stuck on the tiny, insignificant parts.

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

and

**Sin Oan**

**Sin Oan **was kind enough to review all three previous chapters she missed. I hope she enjoyed this chapter.

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Megu's dream world was dark. All the trees were bare, stripped and charred, as if they'd been the victims of a fire. The ground was bare and churned up. There were no signs of life whatsoever. Suigintou stared at the land, shocked. Even the twins were quite surprised at the sight. They landed in a clearing, where the only piece of greenery for miles graced the land. The tiny tree was wilting and some leaves were browning. Its roots were exposed and they had several purple crystals in them. Suigintou clenched her teeth.

"Barasuishou…why you…" she snarled. Suiseiseki bent down and looked more closely at the tree. Turning to her sister, she said, "I think you should deal with the roots and I'll deal with…" she looked around the clearing, "everything else." Souseiseki nodded, and summoned up her scissors. Suigintou watching the twins get to work, worried that they might do something wrong by accident. To calm herself, she flew up in the air and looked over the world.

"Megu…" she sighed.

* * *

Marina stood on a wall, looking over the N-field. Suddenly, Laplace appeared next to her. She sighed, and turned her head slightly to look at him.

"Why hello there, child," he bowed, greeting her almost mockingly. She only blinked, unimpressed.

"You troublesome rabbit," she murmured. "What do you want?" The rabbit stood up straight, his little nose twitching suspiciously.

"I wish to help you." Marina snorted in disbelief.

"Yeah right! Why help me when you could be helping the other Rozen Maidens?" He smirked, although it was hard to tell with that smile already on his face.

"Oh but I do."

"How?" Laplace chuckled quietly.

"I'm not supposed to help them in the Alice Game, by order of your Father, but he said nothing about assisting them through riddles." Marina turned away from him, and watched the doors.

"And," he continued, knowing the doll wouldn't answer, "if one should be able to solve but one riddle, they might as well have solved the Alice Game itself."

"Yes, but the riddles are quite hard. And sometimes, they'll solve the riddle without being told or even knowing it. But what makes me wonder is why you talk in riddles yourself? Your very existence seems to be a riddle," she said, not turning away from the scenery in front of her.

"But," Marina turned to him again, "at this very moment, a riddle could be helpful…to poor, dear little Megu." Marina's eyes widened.

"What did you do?" He chuckled again.

"I didn't do anything. But Barasuishou is trying to put her out of her misery. In fact, she's brought in some of her…friends to take care of the girl personally."

* * *

Suiseiseki frowned at the trees of the clearing. Megu's soul tree was the only piece of life for miles, and even that was dying. Hearing her sister stop working, she turned and asked, "Something wrong?" Souseiseki sighed, and she stood.

"I was just thinking." One of Suiseiseki's eyebrows arched.

"About what?"

"About Suigintou's medium." Suiseiseki snorted with amusement.

"Yeah, I still can't believe it either." Her sister rolled her eyes and said, "No, I don't mean that. I mean, most of the time, when we enter someone's dreams, the person is in the dream world as well." Suiseiseki caught on to what Souseiseki was talking about and said, "Huh, you're right. And I just get the feeling that the girl is here."

"Yeah, same here. But we haven't ran into her yet," her sister replied. Suddenly, Suigintou above them screamed, "Megu!" The twins watched as she flew off in one direction. They shared a look, before abandoning the girl's tree and following the first doll. When they caught up to her, the scene in front of them made them stop and stare in shock.

There were creatures made of rock and purple crystal emerging from the ground, and there was a large one holding a struggling Megu.

"Angel-san!" She called out. Suigintou's wings bristled, and, ignoring the twins' pleas to stop, flew forward, screeching, "Let go of her!" The twins tried to run forward to help her, but were soon surrounded by several more of the creatures.

"Damn!" Suiseiseki growled. Souseiseki summoned up her shears and held them out, shaking slightly as the monsters advanced slowly on them. The doll cursed silently under her breath at her and sister's position.

"Drat!" She hissed. Suigintou was having worse luck, as she couldn't get anywhere near her medium with that monster holding her. His large arms swung at the doll, forcing her to retreat to a safe distance before trying again. She flinched as he caught her wing, throwing her off course slightly. Fortunately, she managed to correct herself and try again.

* * *

Soon, the twins had been fought to the ground, and Suigintou had taken refuge behind a rock to gather her energy. She hissed.

"Why you…" she started, but then, she heard something that made her pause in her threat. Her eyes widened as she saw Marina emerge from a nearby, blackened bush.

"Marina…what are you…" she trailed off, gasping as the large monster, with an unconscious Megu over its shoulder, walked over to her and stared down at her. Marina smirked.

"Hey." The monster turned from the doll to the smaller one.

"How about you pick on someone smaller than her." She held out her hand, palm to the lump of rock and crystal, and a spiral of water, soon becoming a circular sheet of ice, appeared in front of it. The ice broke apart to create several sharp shards of darts, which shot forward, throwing the creature off. Megu slipped off its shoulder, and Suigintou flew forward to catch the girl. Suiseiseki struggled to free her arm, but when she did, she shouted, "Sui Dream!" Her spirit flew around her hand, summoning her watering can.

Tightening her grip on it, she tilted it backwards to cover the rock creatures with water. Large, thick vines appeared from the ground, avoiding her, but capturing the monsters in their leafy grasps. Now free to move, she jumped to her feet and flew up, floating above the monsters holding down Souseiseki and she covered them with more water, the same thing happening.

"You okay?" Suiseiseki asked, floating down and helping her sister stand. Souseiseki nodded, and summoned up her shears. They rushed forward to rid the world of the remainder of the creatures, while Marina assisted Suigintou with finishing off the largest and protecting Megu. Suigintou kept on glancing at the doll, mesmerized every time she attacked.

She would summon up jets of boiling hot or ice cold water, create shards of ice that would rush forward and attack, or just make a shield of ice to protect herself and Megu, still unconscious and behind her, from the creatures' big, thick arms. Suddenly, as Suigintou and Marina were preparing their attacks, the monster stopped, and started to fall to pieces, showering the dolls with rocks and crystals. If it weren't for Suigintou shielding them all with her wings, they would've been crushed.

* * *

Later, Megu had woken up, and was quite shocked at the state of her soul tree and her world itself.

"This little tree…is me?"

"In a sense, yes," Souseiseki said, walking up to her.

"But you could change," she continued, "While it is okay to accept death when it's so close, it soon becomes an obsession. It starts to affect your world and tree. Thinking about more positive things could change it dramatically. Even small things could change several trees." Megu stood, and turned to Suigintou, a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Angel-san. Thanks to you, I now know that things could be different. I'll still accept death, but I won't act as if it's going to come any minute. I'll embrace my life, for however long it will be." The tiny doll nearby smiled. She walked to them all and they walked out of the trees. She looked up.

"How about we start you off? It may be easy to change, but everyone needs a starting point." They couldn't question what she meant, for in a moment, she summoned up a little, aqua blue spirit. Holding her hand up in the air, to the sky, she said, "Teardrop!" The spirit flew out of her hand and up into the grey clouds. Marina turned to Suiseiseki, and nodded. Suiseiseki poured a small amount of water onto the soil next to them, and a large leaf emerged, covering them. Thunder roared overhead.

"What did you do?" Suigintou asked. The doll only tapped her nose and winked. Soon, the rain was beating down, tapping against the leaf. The crowd gathered beneath the leaf watched, mesmerized, as the ground suddenly bloomed into greenery. The grass and flower buds appeared all around them. Megu bent down to inspect a flower bud, but jumped and fell back when it exploded into bloom. The dolls turned to Marina, while Megu started laughing, as more flowers burst open.

"You certainly are something, Marina," Suigintou said. She smiled, and bowed slightly to the doll, tears coming to her eyes as Megu ran out into the rain.

"Thank you."

* * *

Suigintou: It seems Megu is well enough to be released from the hospital.

Shinku: That's good news. And I presume that your problem is now over.

Suiseiseki: Now, we just need to get Kanaria and Hina to talk again.

Souseiseki: Hang on a second! Suigintou, explain why I saw you hanging around Master's house!

Suigintou: What? I was nowhere near that old man's house.

Marina: Oh no. They've gone missing…

Hina and Kana: What has? Hey!

Marina: Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen…

Hina and Kana: It's secret cannot be trusted. HEY! CUT THAT OUT! QUIT COPYING ME!


	16. Epi6: Wishes I

I've changed my mind. Instead of doing Vertrauen, ending it on a cliffhanger, ending the season itself in another story, then writing another ending in another story, I'm going to do a season four. It's a series...technically.

Working title, though a definate choice: Rozen Maiden Opfer.

Translation: Opfer - Sacrifice

About Megu (**Sin Oan** brought this up), she isn't completely better, but what happened in her dream world has affected her health for the better. She (Thank you Sin) now takes a special medicine that means she only has to go in for regular check-ups.

Just a note.

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

and

**Sin Oan**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"Well, I'm glad to hear that Sui-chan is okay. And that you two are getting along again," Mrs. Shibasaki sighed with relief. Souseiseki nodded, holding her cup of tea. She took a sip while Mr. Shibasaki went out to the shop to work on some projects.

* * *

Mrs. Shibasaki went to bed as soon as she'd gotten rid of the letter from Suiseiseki. Souseiseki cleared away the cups and the plate from the cookies, and then went and joined Mr. Shibasaki, like back when he mistook her for Kadzuki. She gave a small, sad smile, hidden from the man tinkering at the desk. Kadzuki. She kind of missed those days. Maybe she could go visit the boy. But that'd mean going into one of the Shibasaki's dreams. She didn't want to break their trust. A faint chuckling caught both their attentions.

"Huh? What was that?" Mr. Shibasaki asked, looking around the quiet shop. Souseiseki blinked, thinking that she saw something move outside. She stood up and the figure appeared again, closer to the shop. Suddenly, the window broke, showering them in glass. The doll clenched her teeth.

"Master," she hissed, not looking to the old man, "get behind me." She summoned up her shears as Mr. Shibasaki crawled into the space behind her.

She was only there for a moment, but there was no mistaking it. Souseiseki's eyes widened as several black feathers floated around her and the man. She growled.

"Suigintou."

* * *

Suiseiseki sighed as Hina pouted for the fifth time that day. Ever since she and Kanaria had stopped speaking, she was just no fun. She frowned.

"Is that what I was like?" She asked herself quietly. Shinku looked her way. A screaming from upstairs caught their attention, but they just ignored it. Lately, Suigintou had been trying to save up her energy again by using her case to get around than flying everywhere. Like the twins themselves, she'd taken to flying through Jun's window. Also like the twins, she flew through the closed window. If the window was open, she'd just find another window around the house.

The doll opened the door and walked up to her sisters, a smile on her face.

"So," Shinku started, not looking away from the TV, "how is life continuing with your healed medium?" Suigintou's smile got warmer.

"Megu is getting better every day. She still needs to stay in the hospital, but I overheard the doctors one day saying that she could be out by next week." Suiseiseki smiled.

"That's good to know." She'd gotten to know her sister better as she and Souseiseki had helped her medium. Suigintou nodded. Jun burst into the room and pointed at the winged doll, his hair messy, his eyes bulging, and he had stressed bags under them.

"Y-Y-Y-You! It's bad enough that that demonic doll," he ignored Suiseiseki's outburst of, "HEY!", and he totally ignored her completely, "and her sister use my window as an entrance, but now, you're using it? I swear," he turned to face all the dolls, "you dolls are going to be the death of me!"

* * *

Marina entered the storage room of the mansion and she walked along the long room to the workshop. The light was still on, but then again, Father did have a bad habit of forgetting to turn it off when he left to go somewhere. She sighed. He didn't even know that she hadn't returned here yet. She walked to the shelf of rejects. Suigintou had once lain on that shelf, watching with longing as Father tended to her sisters.

It pained Marina to think of all those forgotten dolls. Even though they weren't Rozen Maidens, she still thought of all the dolls as her sisters. And being the most recent, they were all older.

'_Soon, I'll be a big sister,'_ she thought, glancing at the unfinished doll sitting on the workbench. She turned back to the shelf and pulled off a doll. Unlike the others on the shelf, she was finished, yet thrown aside. Marina still didn't know why Father left her, but this doll was just left on the shelf. Her empty red eyes just stared at her, forcing the doll to look away from her abandoned sister. She reached up to put her back, and she turned back to the bench. She pulled herself up onto the chair and looked down at her soon to be little sister.

She was still missing her right arm and her left leg, but it was her right foot, like all the others and herself, that had Rozen's signature. Tears gathered in Marina's eyes. Her sister was unfinished and, like all those on the shelf behind her, they'd all been at a stage in their construction that their souls had manifested. Now, they were all wandering in the darkness, grieving over why Father had left them. Marina held her sister's hand. This doll would soon be complete. However, she'd still wander, alone in the dark. Marina sighed, letting a single tear drop on the doll's leg. Just then, she noticed the un-padlocked toolbox.

"Huh?" She reached over to it, but before she could pull it toward herself, she stopped and stiffened. There was a small purple crystal fragment caught in between the lid and box, holding it open. She looked at the crystal with fear.

'_No. She didn't...'_


	17. Epi6: Wishes II

I'm sorry this took so long. But, like I said before, in another chapter's notes, I get stuck on small parts. It's a pain.

And, from now on, if Marina has quite a part in a chapter, I'l always put this here:

Note: Don't be afraid to say Marina's taking over the story. And since I'm doing these sort of things, I'll do this:

Disclaimer: Me? Own Rozen Maiden? What have you been smoking?

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

**Sin Oan**

and

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Marina jumped out of the mirror and ran out of the storage room. She ignored the four dolls coming out of the living room and she dashed upstairs. She ran into Jun's room, oblivious to his cries of annoyance. She slammed down the red box she was holding, rummaged through it, then tossed that idea in favour of tipping out its contents. The dolls poked their heads around the door, and they and Jun looked on in confusion as the tiny doll shuffled through the pile.

She sighed as she found a rolled up piece of paper, but then stiffened in panic again as she unrolled it and found nothing inside. Throwing the roll over her shoulder, she continued to search among the box's contents on the floor, muttering, "The copies, the copies, please tell me she didn't get the copies." She gave a deep sigh of relief as she picked up a memory stick. She ran to the computer, and through some sudden burst of strength, pushed Jun out of the seat and jumped on it herself.

"Hey, what's the big idea here?" The boy yelled, rubbing his sore head. He turned to the doll as she put the memory stick into the computer and turned to the dolls by the door.

"I'm sorry but..." she hesitated, looking away.

"But what?" Shinku asked. Marina turned back to them, fear and worry in her pink eyes.

"Could you please leave? I'm sorry, but it's important." The dolls shared a look, before shrugging and walking out. Jun stood up and walked over to the computer. He blinked in surprise as he watched the doll move the mouse over the memory stick icon and click.

"I didn't know you knew how to work a computer," he explained with wonder. Marina ignored him, tapping at the keys on the keyboard. She opened the file, and Jun was really shocked to see...

"Plans? Of the Rozen Maidens?" Marina nodded. She turned to him, the chair pivoting her tiny body to face the human.

"Can you keep a secret?" She asked, leaning forward. Jun blinked, surprised at the sudden question. He nodded quickly. Marina nodded, and turned back to the computer.

"What were you looking for before?" He asked her. She stared intently at the screen, as if it had the answer on it. She narrowed her eyes.

"The plans."

"The plans?" The doll turned her head to Jun.

"The plans of the Rozen Maidens." Jun looked at the screen.

"But aren't these them?" Marina shook her head.

"No. These are the copies. Father always makes copies. Every century, he'll update them. Putting the copies on a memory stick is the latest update," she said, scrolling through the different plans. She stopped at the last one and her eyes widened.

"What is this doing here?" Jun looked carefully at the screen, squinting his eyes.

"Are these...your plans?" Marina moved the mouse to the little tabs up the top and started searching hurriedly for something.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Marina didn't look at him, but continued her search for whatever she was looking for.

"I have to delete this. I have to!" She eventually found the delete button in the tabs, but before she could click on it, Jun grabbed her hands and turned her to him.

"Why do you have to delete them? They're your plans. What if Rozen needs them?" Marina struggled against the boy's grip, and when she broke free, she stood on the chair and looked Jun in the eye, defiant.

"Remember Barasuishou?" She didn't wait for an answer as she continued, "Barasuishou was a copy of the seventh doll. Someone got a hold of the seventh doll's plans, and now, Barasuishou is causing us all grief. So, to avoid another event like that, or this, Father burned my original plans. I don't know why he made a copy of them, but I must delete them." Jun just stared at the doll, shocked, and he didn't try to stop her when she turned and clicked on the delete button, destroying her only plans.

* * *

"I wonder what was so urgent that we had to leave the room." Suiseiseki asked, not paying attention to the KunKun episode currently on the TV. Shinku turned from the puppet show, and said, "A tad touchy today, aren't we Suiseiseki?" The doll crossed her arms and pouted in frustration. The door creaked open, and all the dolls in the room turned to see Souseiseki enter, head down in thought. Suiseiseki jumped off the couch and ran to her sister.

"Souseiseki!" The doll looked up in surprise, but quickly covered it up with a smile. Shinku frowned, suspicious. When Suiseiseki released Souseiseki from the embrace, she led her to the couch and told her, "You would not believe what just happened. Marina suddenly ran in and started looking through a red box for something." Souseiseki nodded, but Shinku could see that her thoughts were elsewhere. Shinku sat properly in the seat again, and asked the doll, her cup near her lips, "Penny for your thoughts, Souseiseki? You do realise it is rude to ignore someone when they are talking to you." The red-haired brunette jumped, and looked away from both Shinku and Suiseiseki with guilt. Suigintou walked forward, toward Shinku, as Souseiseki looked up and her eyes widened. Suigintou reached the little red doll, and whispered something in her ear. The reply was a small nod and a murmur back. The winged doll turned around, but jumped when she saw Souseiseki's scissors pointed right at her.

"Souseiseki! What are you doing?" cried her sister. Even Shinku had widened her eyes in shock and surprise. Suigintou just stared down the tip of the scissors, almost scared. She clenched her fists and challenged, "What is the meaning of this?" The doll lowered the shears slightly, but kept them pointed at Suigintou.

"Why did you attack the Master's house last night?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the doll. Suigintou's eyes widened in confusion.

"What? I haven't been near that old man's house since..." she trailed off, looking away. Suiseiseki grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her off toward the kitchen. Shinku motioned for Suigintou to talk out in the hall.

* * *

"What is up with you?" Suiseiseki asked, annoyed. Her sister was still holding her shears. She looked down, frowning. The doll sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to answer. She remembered what Souseiseki had said and asked, "What did you mean anyway?" Souseiseki looked and opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. Suiseiseki clenched her teeth.

"Answer me!" She shouted, causing her twin to jump. Souseiseki sighed.

"Last night, Suigintou attacked the Master's house. I'm certain it was her." Suiseiseki just watched her sister with worry. She only ever referred to Mr. Shibasaki as Master when she was worried about him. She shook her head.

"Are you totally sure? Suigintou said she was with Megu last night." Souseiseki looked up.

"How can you tell she was telling the truth?" And for once, Suiseiseki was speechless.


	18. Epi6: Wishes III

Another really short chapter. Also, this is my first episode that is not 3 parts long.

This episode also focuses more on Kanaria and her double.

EDIT: I thought this chapter was crap, as it revealed the secret about the doubles too soon, so I changed it and am now reuploading it.

Reviewers of the original Chapter

**Sin Oan**

and

**Fan of Games**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

"Suigintou, where were you last night?" Suigintou flinched under Shinku's sharp gaze. However, it was neither angry nor suspicious. It was only curious. The doll sighed.

"I told you. I was at Megu's-"

"Then who was at Mr. and Mrs. Shibasaki's shop?" Suigintou didn't know what to say. Shinku sighed.

"Suigintou, I won't be able to help you if you don't tell me," she said, almost sadly. Her sister turned to her, and said angrily, "I don't know who is trying to frame me, but the one thing I want is to be believed." Shinku watched as she started up the stairs. She turned to go back into the living room, head down, when Suigintou's footsteps stopped. She turned to her, and Suigintou looked at her over her shoulder, still facing the stairs. Her pink eyes were filled with hurt and betrayal.

"I want to be trusted."

* * *

The man smiled, and he picked up a little bronze key. He grabbed the second doll on the shelf and started to wind her up. The first doll sat in Barasuishou's usual spot and smirked. The dollmaker put down the doll as she started to twitch, coming to life. He turned to her.

"You did excellently," he praised her. She bowed, her eyes shining with happiness.

"I'm glad that I pleased you, Master," she said, in Suigintou's seductive voice. She flew off the seat until she stood on the desk, looking at the other dolls. He noticed her watching, and smiled.

"Don't worry about them, Gin-chan," he assured her, patting her head. "Soon, they'll awaken too, and join you in your purpose."

"And when we complete it?" She asked, not looking away from them. He smiled and turned back to the doll he had wound up. He picked her up and held her in his arms as she opened her eyes.

"Then you will stay with me for the rest of our lives. I will never abandon any of you. Not like Rozen."

* * *

Barasuishou watched the confusion inside the Shibasaki shop with a small smile. She just couldn't believe that the Suigintou copy could cause such a disruption.

She jumped from the roof, but she disappeared mid-fall. She reappeared elsewhere, in an apartment. The apartment walls had shelves in them, and the shelves, and all flat surfaces, were lined with dolls. Suddenly, there was a slamming, as someone entered the apartment. However, Barasuishou didn't move. She was about to cause more trouble. She smiled, and held out her hand.

Micchan entered the living room, talking on her phone, but when she saw Barasuishou, she stopped talking and her mouth flew open to scream, but she didn't get the chance to.

The phone fell from her hand, and the apartment was empty. And silent. Silent apart from the man on the other side of the phone saying, "Hello? Mitsu? You there? Hello?"


	19. Epi6: Wishes IV

Sorry this took so long. My dad was trying to get my notebook's (Those mini laptops. They're cute ^_^) virus protection updated. And the reason that was so hard was because most notebooks don't have CD Drives.

Anyway, sorry about changing last chapter, so I'm going to record the reviewers of the re-uploaded episode 6 part 3.

The Tomoe scene, about her hating Algebra, that's kind of me putting a bit of myself in there. My maths class has just spent weeks doing brackets and equations, and I am no good at Maths. Actually, I'm in a credit/general pupil (I'm not going to explain this, just keep reading or skip the rest of the notes and get to the story) so I am good at maths, I just don't like maths.

Reviewers (Of the Re-Uploaded chapter)

**cherryblossomroses**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Marina sighed as she walked down the stairs. She would return the box later. Right now though, she had to try and explain about the doubles. She sniffed, tears threatening to come. She heard some footsteps and looked up on the third step. She blinked.

"Shinku?" The doll in red jumped and turned sharply to Marina. Seeing it was only her, she relaxed.

"Marina," she said sternly, turning to the little doll, "it is considered rude to sneak up on people and surprise them. Don't do it again." Marina frowned, worried and upset.

"Okay," she squeaked. She walked down the last few steps and joined Shinku at the door. Opening it, the twins jumped. They shared a very brief glance, missed by Shinku but caught by Marina, before they turned to the new arrivals.

"So," Suiseiseki started, walking toward them, "where'd Suigintou go? Did she crawl back to her medium?" Shinku narrowed her eyes, although through what emotion, no-one could tell.

"She left. That is all you need to concern yourself with Suiseiseki."

* * *

Tomoe sat at her desk, staring blankly at her homework. Kendo practise had run late, meaning that it was now 20 to midnight. She yawned, and she squinted her tired eyes at the jumble of letters and numbers and brackets.

'_Algebra. Who needs it?' _she thought, very much unlike herself in her half-out-of-it state. She blinked, then sighed, as a certain subject came to mind. Ever since Jun had returned to school, things between them had been...different. Tomoe didn't know what it was. It was certainly odd, to put a label on it. She pushed back her chair and walked over to her window.

All the lampposts in the street had blown out and everyone else, sans a few nocturnal partygoers and sappy romantics, were asleep. Thanks to all this, and with the main city a couple of miles away in the middle of a blackout contributing, the sky was fairly clear, a ton of tiny white dots blinking down on her. Large grey clouds floated off in the distance, an obvious storm that, fortunately, hadn't hit them. Tomoe looked up.

She had always believed that when you were feeling down, the stars would find a way to make themselves seen. Sometimes, it even helped. But, sometimes, it didn't. Tomoe sighed and closed her window. This...was one of those times.

* * *

Kanaria opened her case lid, rubbing her eye. The sleepy fog covering her mind began to lift, and she started to think clearly. The first thing that came to mind was Micchan. The bed was not slept in, it's covers still as flat as a thick, fluffy, feather-stuffed pancake from Micchan fixing it the other night. Kanaria furrowed her brow in worry.

"Micchan?" she shouted. Her voice echoed around the apartment. Breathing heavily, she stepped out of her case and climbed down the open drawers. She walked out the room and toward the living room. She walked into the hallway, and then she stopped and froze. Micchan's phone was lying on the floor, and the man Micchan was talking to had hung up long ago. The doll edged toward it slowly, as if it would come to life and bite her.

She picked it up and looked through it. Micchan had 15 new messages and 16 missed calls. She looked up, worried and upset.

"Micchan?" she called, more quietly and to herself. She entered the living room, shaking slightly, looking down at the phone. She was about to continue walking into the wall when she was stopped by a quiet chuckling. She gasped and turned to the curtains. A familiar figure was standing in front of them, her head was low and her grey bangs covered her eyes.

Kanaria shook, the phone slipping out of her hands. The figure was familiar enough to make it seem as if she were looking in a mirror. Except if it were a mirror, Kanaria's reflection would reflect her fear. The figure was teasing and mischievous. The figure raised her head and Kanaria gasped. Two pairs of dark green eyes stared at each other. The doll was frozen, and she was too busy staring at the twin doll to notice her pulling a viola out from behind her back.


	20. Epi6: Wishes V

Thank you!

...I don't know why I just did that.

Anyway, just to have something to say, I'm going to mention something that me and a fellow author/RM fan talked about.

There is going to be a bit of Tomoe x Jun for a while, but near the end, I've got a surprise which involves Shinku x Jun.

This episode is going to end next chapter. And next episode is going to be my comedy episode. Every season has one.

Season 1: The war on the staircase about who took Hina's strawberry.

Season 2: ...Random stuff, mostly based around Kana trying to break into Jun's house (_again_), Hina trying to send Jun a letter (When she could just give it to him) and Suiseiseki trying to get Jun to like her (Why would he do that when you keep calling him an 'idiot runt'?)

...Anyone else notice that the Season 2 comedy episode features everybody trying?

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

I can understand that **cherryblossomroses **hasn't reviewed yet due to her position in the world. But I will be expecting a review next chapter, cherry. No exceptions.

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Laughter. Happiness. Fun.

"Tomoe, hurry up!"

"I'm coming Hinaichigo! I'm coming!" The doll stopped halfway up the lush green, heather dotted hillside. She smiled as the girl climbed up slowly after her. The girl smiled, her pink eyes shining. The little doll's lime green eyes were wide and bright, happy.

"Hurry Tomoe, we're almost there!" Tomoe panted her way up the last stretch of hill, using some tufts of heather to help her up. When she did join Hinaichigo at the top, she gasped at the sight. The sun had been setting during their climb, but now, it was just at the edge of a wide expanse of orange ocean. Hina looked up at the pre-teen.

"Do you like it Tomoe?" She looked down, tears brimming in her eyes. She bent down and grasped the doll in an embrace.

"I love it."

* * *

Tomoe's eyes opened slowly as the sun flitted through her window. She sat up and blinked a few times, trying to come to her senses. A screaming from a nearby house snapped her wide awake, and she threw open her windows, trying to figure out which house it'd came from. She relaxed when she saw the broken window of Jun's house and heard him shouting, "You can't use the door?" She brought herself back into her room and closed the window.

Turning to face the room, she spotted her calendar, hanging to the left of her door. A date was circled with the words, 'Hinaichigo to stay' written on it. Tomoe smiled.

"Hinaichigo..."

* * *

Kanaria gasped as she made sharp contact with the wall. The force of her impact caused some dolls on the shelf above to fall off, leaving them sprawled in all positions around the Rozen doll. Kanaria ignored them and summoned up her violin, all the time cursing herself for having her guard down. But she didn't expect the attack in her shock. I mean she'd just met a doll that looked just like her. How was she supposed to act? She growled as the other Kanaria chuckled.

"Having a tough day?" she teased. The doll clenched her teeth, trying to fight the urge to start throwing the dolls at her clone. But, even though she didn't know where she was, she wasn't going to do that for Micchan's sake. Instead, she tucked her violin under her chin, raised her bow, and started playing, shouting, "Symphony 6! Flurry of Attack!" Other Kanaria simply smirked, and she lifted her bow, set her viola at her neck, and put the bow to the strings.

"Movement 19. Tornado Waltz," she said, almost teasingly. The wind and the tornado met at the centre of the apartment, causing a great gust to be thrown into the living room. Apart from the two Kanaria's, all the dolls in the apartment were thrown into the air, their clothes and straw hair flying everywhere. Kanaria shielded her eyes from the blasts of wind, whereas Other Kanaria just dropped her hands to her sides, still holding her instrument, and watched the hurricane brewing.

Eventually, it just became too much for Kanaria, and she was blown off her feet and into another wall. As she lay winded, the wind died down and Other Kanaria walked over to her. Kanaria looked up, her eyes squinted in pain. She tried to reach up and stop her, but the other doll grabbed her hand and pinned it against the wall. Kanaria's other arm hung limply by her side, almost pulled entirely out of its socket. Other Kanaria gently cupped the doll's chin with her finger and thumb, and lifted her limp head to look at her. She smirked.

"I could finish you right now and be done. But I should only be fair. For now, you will forget this encounter. But if you do remember and attempt to tell your pathetic sisters, lemmie just give you some advice," she leaned forward and whispered in Kanaria's ear, "Think about your medium." Kanaria's eyes widened. Other Kanaria whispered something barely audible, but it had effect on the grey haired doll, for her eyes grew dark and empty, and she fell forward, still. Other Kanaria smirked.

"Well, you winding down is helpful. How about I send you to a...repair shop?" She chuckled. The mirror behind her started to glow.


	21. Epi6: Wishes VI

Geez, this is my longest episode yet. 6 parts! Oh well, I guess I was on a roll LOL ^_^

And yes, the reason Sin Oan didn't review last chapter is because I am a nocturnal creature. On holidays and weekeneds, you can mostly find me roaming the site after midnight in the old Kingdom of United. LOL

And, like I said last chapter, next chapter/episode is going to be my comedy episode. I also hope to make it a whole chapter. Hope.

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Jun chased Suiseiseki down the stairs, trying to get revenge for his broken window. It was the 500th time she'd done it, and yes, after the 5th, he'd started keeping count. Fortunately, Souseiseki had taken the door. However, Suiseiseki had entered through her favourite entrance.

"You can't use the door?" he screamed. Despite being chased, the doll giggled.

"Why would I do something boring? I prefer excitement!" They ran into the living room, disrupting the dolls there. Shinku sighed, as she placed her cup back on her saucer. Hina just stared. Soon bored with the usual events, she walked to the storage room to think.

* * *

The doll pushed open the door and peaked into the dark room. She entered the room and then closed the door, keeping it open a crack to let in some light. She sat down between a box marked 'Junk' and a box marked 'Jun and Nori children'. She started thinking, just staring at the reflection of the door. In a few days time, she'd be going to Tomoe's to stay for a while. Hina smiled. It'd been a while since she'd stayed at Tomoe's. She smiled, and stood, ready to leave. Suddenly, the mirror started glowing, and Hina gasped, worried that it'd be Barasuishou, or Suigintou turned bad again and attacking.

"Sh...Sh...Sh..." She whined, trying to call on Shinku. A figure started to come out of the mirror, and Hina backed away until she was against the door. Her hand shuffled against the door, trying to reach the crack in the door to open it. The figure emerged fully from the mirror, and landed in a heap on the floor, unmoving. The doll was still, and Hina, in her curiosity, walked forward slowly to her. Hina turned to doll over and gasped.

"SHINKU!"

* * *

The dolls stood on Jun's bed, watching him go over the sleeping, injured Kanaria.

"Is she okay?" Souseiseki asked. Shinku frowned, worried.

"The poor dear," she whispered, not really to anyone, yet not really to herself. Suiseiseki stomped toward the boy and waggled an accusing finger at him.

"You better fix her, you puny runt, you!" Jun growled and turned on the doll, making her jump.

"I'll try my best! I'm not a miracle worker! Or Rozen!" This silenced all the dolls. They were all shocked to say the least. Hina walked past Suiseiseki and looked at Kanaria, worry and sadness in her bright, lime green eyes.

"I'm sorry Kana. Hina's really sorry," she whispered.

* * *

Suiseiseki: Hey! Get back here you!

Jun: Relax, its just-

Hinaichigo: Yay! We're chasing something! Uh...what are we chasing again?

Shinku: Those vile creatures!

Souseiseki: It's really nothing, they've only taken our-

Suigintou: Shut up and catch them!

Marina: It doesn't really matter.

Kanaria: Of course it matters!

Jun: *sigh* Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen...

Suiseiseki: MY DRESS! WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO MY DRESS?

Souseiseki: *sigh* Aren't you overreacting? Wait...Hey! We missed the line!


	22. Epi7: The Chase I

Just a kick warning, this chapter starts off a bit serious, and then slowly makes it way into the comedy. But I don't think I'm that funny.

Also, the reason this took a while was because I was trying to make this a whole chapter, but then I trashed that idea and decided to stick with my easier small chapters, parts of episodes.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan **(Who was also kind enough to review the chapter she missed)

**cherryblossomroses**

and

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Jun sat in his room, tinkering away at the still wound down Kanaria. He'd first fixed her clothes and cleaned off any dirty marks on her. Now, he was trying to figure out how to put her arm back in. It wasn't like Marina. Her arm could go back in easily, but the other dolls had no chance without Rozen or another skilled dollmaker putting it back in. And he was not a skilled dollmaker. It was only pure luck that he'd managed to fix Shinku's arm that time. He sighed, and stuck with the only option in his head; tape it shut until he could find a dollmaker that could fix her.

"You have done a good job," Shinku said, walking up to him. He sighed.

"Doesn't feel like it. I couldn't fix her arm." Shinku smiled, an odd warmth in the icy blue depths.

"You tried your best, Jun. Now, wind her up. We have work to do," she said, holding the boy's hand gently. Jun nodded. He stood up and went to the shelf to pick up Shinku's key. Shinku watched him wind her sister up, and when she started to twitch, she turned to the door and walked downstairs. She stopped just outside the living room door, hearing Suiseiseki and Hina cheering for KunKun together. She lifted a hand to push open the door, until a glowing from the storage room caught her attention.

"What?" She walked to the room, and gasped as Suigintou flew through and landed in front of her.

"Suigintou...what are you..." The silver haired doll brushed herself off and said tartly, "Can't I visit my sisters? I told you before, I quit the Alice Game." Shinku blinked, still shocked from her sudden entrance. Suigintou rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"Aren't you going to invite me into the living room and have your medium make some tea?" Shinku shook her head, shaking off her shock and said, still quite surprised, "Y-Yes. This way." Suigintou nodded and walked out, Shinku following behind her. When they opened the door, three pairs of eyes looked their way, with mixed emotions. Hinaichigo looked at the eldest doll with fear, while Suiseiseki and Souseiseki just stared at her with suspicion and anger. Marina, who was standing on a chair by the sink, only turned around, but, seeing Shinku and Suigintou, she only shrugged and turned back to the sink. Shinku turned to the three sitting by the TV.

"Suigintou is here to visit. Please, no matter what is going on right now, treat her nicely," she told them sternly. The twins only turned back to the TV, while Hina walked over to them. Marina turned on the tap, causing a stream of water to come out and all the dolls to turn her way. She jumped off the chair, turned to the sink and held out her hands.

"What are you doing, Marina?" Suiseiseki asked. Marina didn't look away from the water, but answered, "Without a medium, I would need a source to control water in this world. But in the N-field, I can summon up my own water." Then, a small trickle of water appeared from the stream, floating up to the ceiling and Marina started to walk backward. The water split apart, and started snaking across the ceiling. Eventually, she'd made her way to an armchair, and now, the water had made its way across the whole ceiling. At that time, Jun walked in, with a still groggy Kanaria behind him. He looked up and noticed the water on the ceiling.

He was totally dumbstruck, until he screamed, "What the hell!" Marina turned and looked his way, meaning that her attention was elsewhere. The water suddenly stopped and collapsed on them all, soaking them. Water was inside Jun's glasses, partly covering up his vision. Suiseiseki shot out a jet of water like a fountain, Shinku tipped her tea cup upside down and poured the water out, Hinaichigo blew her wet bangs out of her eyes, Suigintou flapped her wings to try and dry them out, and Souseiseki took off her hat and tipped out the water. Kanaria gave a scream.

"My hair!"

* * *

Jun walked down the stuffy hall to the drier room, ready to give Nori his clothes to dry. He'd gone off to his room to change first. Now, he carried his sopping wet clothes in a plastic bag. He opened the door and started, "Hey Nori, got my stuff for you..." he trailed off at the sight in the room. The dolls turned his way while Nori separated their clothes.

They were all in the underclothes, and didn't even bat an eyelid at Jun's tomato red face. Marina's underclothes were like the others, with very thin straps, and her left arm was hanging loose out its socket, yet still connected. Her arm made a clicking sound everytime it moved, which was normally muffled by her dress. Kanaria's arm was also on show, Jun's rough handywork on display for all to see.

Only Suigintou shied away, blushing at herself. Nori had found her some old underclothes from an old doll of hers that just covered her top and bottom, yet left her torso uncovered. It only took Jun another moment to drop the bag and to slam the door, screaming, "Again?" Nori looked out the window and smiled.

"Well, it's looks sunny enough to send the clothes to dry outside." Hina cheered.

"Yay!"

* * *

The dolls stood on the opposite side of the glass doors, watching their clothes flap in the breeze. They turned away when Nori said, "Hey everybody, your Flower-topped Hamburgers are finished." They walked to the table and climbed up onto their chairs. Nori shouted, "Jun, dinner!" The boy shouted back, "'Kay!" When he walked down the stairs and opened the door, he stopped and started blushing. He looked down and covered his eyes with his hand. He took his seat and avoided looking at Shinku or Suigintou on either side of him.

They ate in silence, until Marina turned to the window again and asked, "Why are those cats in the garden?" Everyone stopped eating. They looked outside and indeed, there was a large group of cats watching the dolls' clothes intently. Suddenly, the biggest cat, a large, dark brown tabby, jumped up and snatched Suiseiseki's dress from the line, causing the doll to give off an ear piercing scream. The cat ran toward the wall and jumped over it, the green dress flapping behind it like a flag.

"MY DRESS! WHERE DOES THAT FLEA BITTEN PIECE OF ROAD KILL THINK ITS GOING WITH MY DRESS?" Suiseiseki jumped off her chair and ran to the door, surprising everyone by throwing it open. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the other cats from jumping up and grabbing all the other clothes. The dolls gasped and ran to the door as well. All the cats jumped over the wall, the clothes soon out of sight. A tiny kitten jumped onto the wall, but then looked back at the shocked dolls, holding one of Marina's socks and one of Hina's socks. Then, it jumped down with a flick of its little white tail. Jun started snickering, which gradually got louder.

"What...What are the odds...that a family of cats would...would take your..." he trailed off, laughing. Shinku furrowed her brow in determination. Despite only being in her undergarments and having her ball joints on show to the world, she walked out to the wall then called, "Jun, come out here." The boy stopped laughing and he walked to the door.

"Out here," she prompted. He walked to the wall and asked, "What?" Shinku just stared up at him, and said, "I wish for you to lift me over the wall. We must capture those vile creatures." Jun blinked, partly shocked.

"Wh...What?" Suiseiseki hissed, starting to get annoyed, and she ran out. She started climbing the boy and when she was perched above his head, she jumped onto the wall then jumped down, running after the cats screaming, "Get back here with my dress, you!" Souseiseki sighed, and she started climbing Jun as well, until she reached his shoulder. As soon as she was over the wall, she started running after her sister, shouting, "Suiseiseki, stop! At least go back and put something on!"

"Hey! I want my dress back too!" Suigintou just jumped into the air and glided over the teen's head. Soon, Hina, Kana and Marina had climbed the boy and jumped over the wall, chasing not the cats, but the other dolls. Only Shinku was left. She and Jun just stared at each other, until she grabbed his leg, causing the boy to start scream for a moment, until she gave him a sharp slap with her hair. He didn't try and shake her off. And so, with her well known grace, she scaled the boy and then jumped over the wall. Jun blinked. Then, common sense kicked in and he climbed over the wall and started running after them.

"Hey! Wait up! Don't you want to go put on something else before you chase after them?"


	23. Epi7: The Chase II

Sorry this took so long. I tried to make it funny, and also I got stuck after that very first paragraph. Heh Heh ^_^;

Although, while I do think that most of this chapter's funny attempt was an epic fail, I loved the bits I wrote about Marina, the wall, the fat accusation and the twins' one-on-one. ^_^

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

**cherryblossomroses**

and

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

The cats ran deeper into human territory, the dolls still following them. A large crowd, gathered for a festival, lay in front of them. The cats split apart, but still headed for the crowd. And no-one, not the cats, not Jun, who had been chasing the dolls the whole way, and definitely not Suiseiseki, slowed down. The large tabby dragging Suiseiseki's dress behind it squeezed its way into the crowd. Suiseiseki growled, and sped herself up, before she was squeezing her way into the crowd after it. Souseiseki gave a raspy sigh and she ran after her sister.

"Wait! Shinku!" Some of the people turned to look at the panting boy, although they didn't see the blonde doll squeeze after a mottled grey tom.

* * *

Deep inside the crowd, Suiseiseki crawled on her hands and knee ball joints after the cat. She gave an annoyed hiss as a human stepped back and almost crushed her hand.

"Hey! Watch it, you puny human, you!" She screamed, loud enough to get the woman's attention. She scrambled ahead, leaving the woman to look down behind her and spot a cat, unaffiliated with the cats the dolls were chasing, staring at her with hostility.

* * *

Jun squeezed between a fat man and a priest to see a large circle around a police officer, two women, and a fainted one in the policeman's arms.

"I swear officer, she said that a cat told her to 'Watch it, you puny human'," one of the women said. Her friend nodded.

"Uh-huh, she said it before she fainted. She said the cat sounded annoyed."

"And don't forget, the cat also said, according to her, 'Rotten stinkin' human, who needs you. You're just as bad as the puny runt.'" Jun blinked, then clenched his teeth.

"Suiseiseki," he hissed before he ran past the conversation back into the crowd again.

* * *

Outside of the crowds, Jun stopped for a moment to catch his breath, leaning his back against a wall. He heard a quiet meowing, and he lifted himself off the wall. Jun walked around the corner and held back a loud gasp as he saw Marina perched on her hands and knees precariously in a thin wall, trying to coax the cat also in the wall to give her her and Hina's shoes. Said doll was standing on the ground with Kanaria, watching. The kitten noticed the boy at the corner, and jumped down the other side. Marina leaned near that side, thus her balance started shift, thus she...to put it simply, she started to fall. Hinaichigo and Kanaria both panicked, until Jun ran forward and grabbed her arm. Her left arm.

"Careful Jun, you know my left arm is my bad arm," she told him. He scowled, gritting his teeth.

"You think I don't know that?" He grunted. He struggled to pull the doll back up, his face going blue with the effort. The little doll noticed his red, puffed out cheeks. She frowned, upset, and put her free hand, in a balled up fist, on her hip.

"Is there a problem?" Jun frowned, worried. He didn't know why, but for some reason, her frown was just intimidating.

"Do you think I'm fat?" Jun was shocked to say the least. His grip on the doll loosened, but he didn't drop her. He started to stutter, trying to think of a good reason for why he found it hard to lift Marina over the wall. Hina and Kana shared a look and went, "Oooooo, Jun's in trouble." Then, they started snickering.

"Why are you struggling to lift me? I am not heavy! I am a doll! I am the smallest doll of the Rozen Maiden dolls! Also, dolls do not, nay, cannot gain weight! So why do you find it hard to lift me when I am not heavy and/or fat?" She huffed, out of breath after her rant. Jun cast a look over his shoulder, but let out a sigh of relief when no-one was around.

"Why are you so relieved?" He jumped as Marina shouted suddenly, making him lose his grip on her. She gasped as she started to fall, and Hina and Kana started to panic when Jun started to panic. He leaned forward over the wall to try and grab the doll before she fell any further. So he was quite shocked, and he felt quite stupid, when he saw Marina just sitting on the ground, rubbing her bottom, probably only 2 metres down. He slowly crept down the wall, out of the brunette's sight, and sighed with relief, sitting down against the wall.

"Is she okay?" He opened his eyes to see the worried faces of Hina and Kana. Suddenly, Marina shouted, "How stupid can you get? I mean, there was ground only 2 or 3 metres down, and you were panicking like you just dropped me off the side of a cliff! Either way, you shouldn't have dropped me! And back to the original topic, why did you find it so hard to lift me? I am not fat, nor heavy! Do you understand me, Sakurada?" Jun turned to the two dolls and said weakly, "She's just fine."

* * *

Suiseiseki looked round the corner cautiously and suspiciously. Souseiseki sighed, and just walked round the corner of the building. She turned to her sister with her hands on her hips and asked, "Why?" Suiseiseki blinked, and when she stepped out from behind the corner, she said, "Because I'm suspicious. And I don't want that damn rotten...animal to see me comin'!" Her twin shook her head.

"Not the being sneaky thing, the chasing the cats without stopping, thinking, and going back to put on other clothes." Souseiseki motioned to both their undergarments.

"Don't you think it would have made sense to put something on before you chased after the cats? Now, we're out here with next to nothing on." Suiseiseki put a hand on her shoulder, like people would do when they were going to explain things to someone in an easier way.

"Souseiseki, think about it this way. We need our clothes. Father made them himself. Just for us." Souseiseki got ready to argue when Suiseiseki continued, "Here's another way to look at it. Back then, when Barasuishou first showed up and started the Alice Game, you put Father first, before anything else," the red/brunette was quite shocked to hear her sister talk so casually about the event which led to her...leave of the world consciously.

"This is almost identical. You put Father first then, and I am putting my dress first here. It's basically the same thing." Suiseiseki patted her sister's shoulder, who was still shocked and had her mouth open partly, and walked down the alley in front of them confidently. Souseiseki shook off her shock, although she was still partly winded by it, and walked after her twin, muttering, "Sometimes I worry about you. And sometimes you just shock me."


	24. Epi7: The Chase III

HiHi! x

I'm here with another chapter! ^_^

I hope to finish this episode next chapter! ^_^

I should end these notes before I infect you all with my cheery happiness! ^_^

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

and

**Sin Oan**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Shinku shot forth a barrage of rose petals, anger and frustration etched on her features.

"YOU VILE BEAST! YOU PIECE OF JUNK!" She jumped back as the creature she was fighting lunged forward, claws outstretched. While they hissed and twitched in frustration, Shinku leapt behind the wall and started panting. She turned to the person beside her and told them, "Don't worry, I'll get my bonnet and your headband back soon." Suigintou nodded. Before Shinku could go back out to battle, Suigintou grabbed the blonde's arm.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Don't you think it would be easier to get them back without fighting the cat?" There was a dumbstruck silence between the dolls, the only sound being the cat hissing round the corner, this time attacking a rat trying to make a home inside Shinku's bonnet.

"Maybe," Shinku said slowly.

* * *

Marina stomped ahead of the group, still annoyed at Jun for not being able to lift her over the wall. Said human, Hina and Kana walked behind her. The two dolls sighed as Marina shot yet another annoyed glare at the boy. Eventually, they stopped, with Hina and Kanaria collapsing with fatigue. Jun sighed, and turned to Marina, who was still walking ahead with her back to him.

"Marina stop," he called, half pleading, half not-bothered. The brunette stopped and turned to him.

"Hina and Kanicko can't go on. We need to stop and take a break," he told her. Kanaria frowned.

"Jun, right now, I'm too tired to make a big deal of it, but my name is not Kanicko, y'know. My name is Kanaria, y'hear," she told him, sternly, but tiredly. Marina frowned in a pouty style, and she shuffled back to them. However, she totally ignored Jun as she sat in between the two other dolls. Jun sighed.

"This is going to be a long day," he murmured.

* * *

"Suiseiseki, get back here!"

"No! That mangy furball still has my dress! The only thing that makes me think is how the stupid thing got out here!" She shouted back. Souseiseki just watched, helpless, as Suiseiseki slid herself along the long pole sticking out the side of the building, near the top. The cat holding her dress, that had also somehow gotten Souseiseki's hat, which was on its head, was perched at the end of the pole, watching the brunette making her way toward it. A strong gust of wind suddenly came. The cat retracted its claws and gripped the pole, while Suiseiseki hugged the pole tighter.

"Suiseiseki!" The red/brunette bent down next to the stone wall that the pole emerged from. Suiseiseki's screaming made her jump up and look back out. The cat had jumped the distance between the end of the pole to the other building, and now, Suiseiseki was teetering at the end of the pole.

"Get back here with my dress and Souseiseki's hat now, you!" The doll attempted to jump the gap, however, Souseiseki, who thought that both she and Suiseiseki had definitely turned stupid at that point, had jumped onto the pole, ran over and grabbed her sister before she could freefall into a dumpster in the alley below. They just hung there, the younger twin trying to keep her and her sister from falling.

"Souseiseki?"

"If it's about your dress, I swear I am just going to drop you."

"It's not that it's just..."

"Just what?"

"That the runt, puny ichigo and Kana-hana are in the alley below us."

"KANARIA!"

"WHATEVER!"


	25. Epi7: The Chase IV

Sorry this took so long. My dad had me off the site for a while.

Also, I'm going to be having problems with updating stories, so, expect slow updates. Sorry.

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses**

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

and

**Sin Oan**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

The twins had made their way down to the alley, and were now walking along the abandoned, filthy street with them. Marina was still in a huff about Jun's inability to lift her, and Souseiseki was still a bit annoyed with how far Suiseiseki went for her dress.

"Isn't anyone going to say anything?" Jun asked, trying to fill the silence. Marina was ignoring him, Suiseiseki and Souseiseki weren't talking and Hina and Kanaria weren't talking, waiting for something to happen.

"It's too quiet," Jun continued, nervous. Nobody even turned to him. He sighed.

"Why couldn't these dolls have killed me before this day? Then I wouldn't be living it. Instead, I've just gone insane," he muttered.

"Actually, I don't know what's worse, being alive and sane, totally accepting these dolls with no problem, or being alive and insane, also accepting them yet hating them?" He continued.

"Hey, is that Suigintou and Shinku?" Jun looked up, and, like Kanaria had said, Suigintou and Shinku were there, standing up against a wall, looking around the corner, still without clothes. Hissing and spiting could be heard on the other side of the wall. The silver doll turned their way, hearing them run toward them.

"The cat with my headband and Shinku's bonnet is around the corner," she told them.

"It's fighting another cat," Shinku said, not turning to the group. She leaned further forward, then turned to them.

"The odd thing is that the cat it's fighting with has Souseiseki's hat." Suiseiseki stiffened, then shoved Shinku out of the way so she could look round the corner.

"Then where's my dress?" she hissed. The others shared a confused look, then turned to Souseiseki.

"It's a long story," she sighed.

"Hey, where are they going?" They turned to Suiseiseki again, and she said, without looking away from the cats, "They've stopped fighting. They're walking away." Everyone peaked round the corner, and Suiseiseki bit back a squeal as the cat wearing her twin's hat yanked her dress, dusty and dirty, out from a tipped over trash can.

The brunette prepared herself to jump out and chase after them, however, everyone grabbed her and covered her mouth to stop her from shouting out her displeasure. Jun, who had the awkward job of covering her mouth, bit back a scream and tried to keep his hand in place as she bit into his finger. When the cats were out of sight, the dolls and Jun released her, only for Suiseiseki to dart off after the cats. The dolls started after her, and so did Jun, after a quick plea to those above, "Why?"

* * *

The group rounded another corner, always right on the tails of the cats. Several times, the cats had nearly caught them. However, they would just hide until they continued walking. Soon, the cats had met up with all the others. The cats with Hina's, Kana's, Marina's, Suigintou's and Shinku's clothes.

"No sign of any other cats," Jun reported quietly. All the cats were headed in the same direction, toward a dark, dead-end alley. The group turned away and closed in to try and make a plan. Marina heard some purring coming from the alley, so she walked over to the corner looking in. Hina and Kana saw her, and walked over with her. Together, the three dolls walked slowly down the alley.

"So we'll find our way to the other side of the wall at the end of the alley, climb over, and try and grab the clothes," Suigintou said. Everyone nodded, and they turned around, only for Souseiseki to ask, "Where are Marina, Hina and Kanaria?" They looked around, until Shinku shouted, "Over there! In the alley!" They shared a worried look, and ran after them. Just as they were about to shout after them, Marina shouted, in a loud whisper, "Stop, don't do or say anything!" They stopped, and gasped as the light of Teardrop, Berrybell and Pizzicato shone on a surprising scene.

All the cats that had taken their clothes were surrounding a she-cat, who had a litter of kits in her belly. The she-cat was sitting on a bed of...

"Our clothes!" Suiseiseki gasped. Hinaichigo and Kanaria were petting two of the little kittens that had nicked the clothes while Marina was helping the kits to stand.

"Huh," Jun chuckled, "who would've guessed?"

* * *

Jun: Seriously, who would've thought that the cats had taken your clothes for a queen and her litter?

Suiseiseki: Not me.

Shinku: Kanaria, tells us who did this to you. We never had the chance to ask after...the chase.

Kanaria: I don't...know. But...I think...it was me...

Hina: Huh? How could you do this to yourself?

Marina: I think I have an idea...but I have to prove it first.

Suigintou: Hey, you two, explain why Megu saw you two in her hospital room.

Suiseiseki: What? I thought we'd already dealt with this!

Souseiseki: Hmm...

Suigintou: Next time, on Rozen Maiden Vertrauen...

Suiseiseki and Souseiseki: It's secrets cannot be trusted.


	26. Epi8: Strength I

See? I managed it. But, like it says on my profile, it'll take a while to actually write and upload the chapters in secret. Also, for those of you who follow it, I've got something like a prequel planned for my story **Rozen Sisters**. It's seven seperate stories, highlighting key points in each of the sisters' lives before Marina. First one; the twins!

...It was pretty obvious, really.

Reviewers

**Sin Oan**

**cherryblossomroses**

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

and

**Fan of Games**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Megu lay in her hospital room, looking up at her ceiling, silent. Her breathing was deep and almost panicked. Despite the dark, her eyes were wide and bright. Her fear was hard to miss as her head turned slowly to the window, which was starting to slide open.

"A...Angel-san?" The window was soon open, after what felt like forever, and two figures jumped in. Neither had Suigintou's feathery black wings. Megu's heart started beating harder and faster. Quickly, but silently, one of the girl's hands flew to her chest, trying to muffle it in her fear that the figures could hear it. They looked familiar, but the hazy fog of fear covered her mind, making her forget just when she had the memory. Just as the figures turned to face her, she screamed.

* * *

Little Kanaria sat beside Suigintou on Barasuishou's usual seat, chatting away as if they hadn't a care in the world. A man suddenly entered, casting a bright light into the room, out shining the dim desk lamp, and catching the two dolls' attention. The winged doll stood and floated over to stand on the desk. Kanaria crawled off the seat and scrambled to get onto the desk, eventually standing with Suigintou's help. The man walked in and the two dolls bowed. The man chuckled.

"At ease," he said. The dolls stood up straight, and just watched as the man set to work reconstructing little Hina's bow. An accident after her completion had destroyed her clothes. Suigintou and Kanaria sat down and watched the man finish stitching. While he was fitting it to the tiny doll's head, Kanaria notied something.

"Father?" The man stopped his work for a moment,

"Where are the twins?" The man smiled, and, although she could've been imagining it, Suigintou thought she'd heard her Father chuckle.

"I thought I'd wind them up and have some fun," he said, amused. He picked up tiny Hinaichigo, and set her next to the still sleeping Shinku.

"Soon, these two will wake as well, and then..." the dolls shared a look and smiled, knowing what he was thinking.

"Oh, Rozen," he laughed, "your dear daughters will be history."


	27. Epi8: Strength II

First 'event' of my 'The life of' is up. Also, for those who have read it, the title's gonna be changed just so you know who each one is talking about.

Now for this story, can you guess who the new owner of the shop is? It's a surprise, but it links into EVERYTHING that's going on. Everything...

Just keep that in mind ^_^

Reviewers

**cherryblossomroses **(Currently going by **DarkRose Dilettante**),

**James Birdsong **(Anonymous)

and

**Sin Oan**

* * *

'_Trust in yourself, or you'll never trust others._

_Yet, who do you trust, if you trust nobody?'_

_-Marina, Rozen Maiden Vertrauen_

* * *

Suigintou flew up to Megu's hospital window, only to find it closed and the curtains covering up the girl. Suigintou frowned, worried. She flew above the window to look down into a psychiatric room. And the doll was shocked to see a shaken Megu lying on the chair. Suigintou flew down and landed next to the window. She swept a quick glance around the room and, seeing the coast was clear, she tapped quietly on the window, grabbing the girl's attention.

"Angel-san?" The teen ran quickly over to the door, looked out the window, then stood on the table so Suigintou could fly into the room. The doll looked around the room, making sure there was a good hiding place for her in case a doctor or a psychiatrist walked in while she was still there. There was a large gap behind the bookcase, big enough for her to fit. Deciding on it, Suigintou then turned to Megu and asked, "Megu, why are you here? Your hospital room window is closed." Megu looked away.

"Megu, you have to tell me, or else I can't help you," the doll told her sternly. Megu sat down on the seat again and lay back, looking up out the skylight, a sad look in her eyes.

"They think I'm crazy. Last night, something was in my room. I couldn't remember who then, but now..." she trailed off, worried and nervous. Suigintou flew forward and landed on the coffee table beside her medium.

"Megu, who was it? Who was in your room?" she asked quietly. Megu turned her head so her dark, empty blue eyes were staring creepily into Suigintou's pink eyes. The doll shuffled nervously.

"It was..." Suigintou leaned forward, and her eyes widened as Megu whispered in her ear,

"...the twins."

* * *

Jun sighed, as he walked down the street. Another day of school, another day he considered leaving and living at home again. He looked up at the clear blue sky. He always had to pass by Enju's empty, abandoned shop. It still had his store name on it. He put his head down and just climbed the stairs toward the shop with his head down like he was sobbing about something. However, the sound of an engine running made him look up.

"Huh? A movers van?" Jun said. He walked up to the shop to get a closer look. There was a man on a ladder, scraping off the old shop name. Currently, the name 'Enju' had been scraped off. There were men loading furniture off the truck and into the shop. Jun walked up to a man holding an unlabeled box and asked, "Excuse me? I'm sorry but, who's moving into the shop?" The man stopped and put the box on the bench. He whipped off his hardhat, and whipped his brow.

"A dude with an obsession with dolls. Heck, this store's got it bad. A whole history of doll lovers, makers, lovers and makers. It's seen all kinds of dolls. I wouldn't be surprised if it came to life one day and just spat the guy out along with his dolls," the worker told Jun. He then picked up the box and nodded his head in farewell. Jun was dumbstruck. He just sat on the bench and watched the men loading up the shop. After a while, he just shook his head, and stood, getting ready to leave.

"Oh well, let's hope that it isn't going to be a nutjob like Enju this time," he sighed. Just as he continued on down the street, he bumped into a man.

"Ah, I'm sorry, sir," Jun apologized. He looked up. The man was tall, had cropped brunette hair, and emotionless brown eyes.

"S'okay. Just watch where your goin' next time, kid," the man said, pushing Jun out of his way. Jun pouted at the man's attitude. He turned sharply, and started to stomp off until he heard the man talking to one of the movers. Turning around, he gasped in surprise as he saw the man sign the forms then head into the store.

"He's the new owner?" the boy asked to no-one in particular. He turned around and walked off saying, "Well, he better get that attitude of his fixed up or he'll be out of work soon."


End file.
